What Goes In The Brown Bin?
In recent years, the push towards sustainability and environmental conservation has seen a significant rise in practices such as recycling and composting. One of the crucial elements of this movement is the separation of waste, which not only facilitates recycling processes but also significantly reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. A key component of this waste separation process is the use of the brown bin, which is designated for organic waste.
However, there seems to be a lot of confusion about what exactly goes into the brown bin. This post aims to demystify the brown bin's purpose and outline the materials that should be disposed of while also highlighting common mistakes to avoid, the benefits of using a brown bin and how to maintain it for optimum use.
What are the Brown Bin Regulations in Ireland?
Under Irish food waste regulations, businesses and households must separate food waste and organic materials from general waste. Key regulations include:
- Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009 – Requires businesses producing food waste (e.g., restaurants, supermarkets) to use brown bin services.
- Brown Bin Rules for Households – The "Brown Bin Bye-Laws" require homes in urban areas to separate food waste into a brown bin instead of general waste.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) & MyWaste.ie Guidelines – The EPA encourages composting and proper waste segregation to reduce Ireland’s landfill dependency.
What Can Go in the Brown Bin?
The brown bin is primarily used for organic waste, which includes any material that is biodegradable and can be composted. The bin's contents are taken to composting facilities, where they undergo a process that turns them into nutrient-rich compost, which can then be used in agriculture, landscaping, and gardening. Common items for the brown bin include food waste, garden waste and other compostable items such as paper. Below is a full list of what you can put in the brown bin:
Food Waste
Including fruit and vegetable scraps,
Meat and fish scraps (including bones),
Eggshells,
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea bags
Leftover food from your plate & dishes
Breads, cakes & biscuits
Dairy products
Garden Waste
Grass clippings
Leaves
Branches
Plants
Flowers
Weeds
Other Compostable Items
Tissue paper
Paper bags
Natural cork
Hair & fur
Feathers
Wooden items labelled as compostable (such as stir sticks)
Certified compostable plates, cups, utensils and bags
Each of these items decomposes at different rates, but all contribute to a healthy, nutrient-rich compost that can benefit your garden. Remember, the balance of 'greens' (nitrogen-rich materials like food scraps and fresh garden waste) and 'browns' (carbon-rich materials like dried leaves, cardboard, and paper) is crucial for efficient composting.
What Should NOT Go in the Brown Bin?
Placing non-compostable items in the brown bin can contaminate waste and make it unsuitable for composting. Avoid:
Plastics & Non-Compostable Packaging:
- Plastic bags & containers
- Cling film & plastic wraps
Liquids & Oils:
- Cooking oils & fats
- Soups & liquids
Non-Organic Waste:
- Glass, metal, or cans
- Nappies & wipes
- Cleaning products or chemicals
| Mistake | Why it's a Problem | Solution |
| Using plastic bin liners | Contaminates composting | Use compostable bin liners (certified) |
| Adding non-compostable packaging | Disrupts the composting process | Only use EN 13431-certified compostable packaging |
| Throwing in liquids | Causes leaks & odours | Drain excess liquid before disposing of food waste |
| Not cleaning the brown bin | Leads to bad smells & pests | Rinse & clean bin regularly with vinegar & water |
Tip: To reduce odours, wrap food waste in newspaper before adding it to the bin.
How to Maintain Your Brown Bin
To maximise the benefits of your brown bin and maintain its condition, it's important to adopt a few key practices. Firstly, keeping the bin clean can be easily achieved by lining it with newspaper or a certified compostable liner. This simple step goes a long way in maintaining hygiene. Secondly, to reduce odours and further reduce waste, consider freezing your food scraps or sprinkling a bit of baking soda over them before disposal, which can significantly mitigate unpleasant smells. Lastly, the impact of proper brown bin usage can be greatly amplified by sharing your knowledge and encouraging others to adopt similar practices. By educating those around you about the environmental benefits of correctly using the brown bin, you contribute to a larger, collective effort towards sustainability.
For business users, Investing in commercial compost bins can enhance your sustainability practices for larger-scale operations or businesses, efficiently managing larger volumes of organic waste and supporting broader environmental goals. To maintain commercial compost bins, we recommend regularly aerating the compost. This prevents the build-up of foul odours, which can be more noticeable for larger compost bins. If you are looking for more information on starting a compost program in your business, check out our commercial composting guide.
As your waste service provider, KeyGreen will provide you with a brown bin for your food waste and will ensure the bin is collected on a regular collection schedule.
If you don't currently have an organic brown bin and you would like to sign-up for one, please follow the button below.