Brown bins
Any household with a current collection service using a standard wheeled bin can request a brown bin for garden waste which is emptied every two weeks between February and November.
What you can put in your brown bin
- Grass cuttings
- Tree and hedge clippings
- Weeds (excluding controlled weeds such as Giant Hogweed or Japanese Knotweed)
- Plants and flowers
- Leaves
- Twigs and bark
- Small branches (under 4 inches in diameter)
What you can't put in your brown bin
- Soil
- Rubble, gravel and stones
- Turf
- Infectious plants (Japanese Knotweed)
- Plant pots (including plastic and terracotta) or ties
- Pet bedding or pet waste (eg. from a rabbit hutch)
- General waste
- Food waste
- Plastic bags
Benefits of having a brown bin
- Greener - you're helping the environment by recycling waste as well as reducing the number of plastic bin bags used
- Cleaner - reduces mess and smells in the car
- Quicker - saves time loading the car and travelling to the waste recycling centre
- Efficient - save money on fuel costs and bin bags
- Convenient - so you can spend more time enjoying the garden
How to recycle or dispose of other waste
- Compost it. Find out what you can compost and order a compost bin: Composting
- Ask us to collect garden waste. Find out what we collect and order a collection: Request a garden waste collection
- Take it to a household waste recycling centre (tip). Find out where they are and what you can take to them: Household waste recycling centres
More information: Bins and recycling - what goes where
A to Z list of what to do with your unwanted items and rubbish - which bin they go in, if they can be taken to household waste recycling centres (tips) or other recycling sites, and what other alternatives there are for disposing of them.
