Brown bins

Some households in Belfast have a brown bin for recycling certain types of waste. This is in addition to your black bin which is used for general waste not suitable for recycling.

What can I put in my brown bin?

You can put the following items in your brown bin:

food waste
grass cuttings
plants and flowers
leaves, twigs and small branches
hedge trimmings
leaves
shredded paper.

Please don't put these items in your brown bin:

soil or turf
stones
plastic bags
plant pots.

For more information on which items you can or can't recycle, check our A to Z directory of recycling

Food waste

You can now put food waste in your brown bin. To do this:

line your kitchen caddy with the biodegradable bags supplied
fill your bag with food waste and tie the bag tightly when full
put the bag into your brown bin, along with your garden waste
leave your brown bin out for collection every two weeks, on the same day as your black bin
when you need new bags, simply attach a red tag to the handle of your brown bin (red tags will be distributed along with your kitchen caddy) or call us on 028 9027 0230 to order more.

What can I put in my food waste caddy?

Check which items are suitable for your food waste caddy

We won't be able to collect your food waste if you use the wrong type of bag or put the wrong material in your bin. If this happens, remove the wrong items from your brown bin because we can't collect it until you do.

If you aren't sure what to put in your food waste caddy, call us on 0800 032 8100.

Brown bin collection dates and times

Brown bins are collected on the same day as your black bin, although they are picked up by different vehicles.

To find out when your bin is due to be collected, call us on 028 9027 0230 or email refusecollections@belfastcity.gov.uk

Don't forget to always leave your bin out by 7am, and return your bin to your property as soon as possible after collection or, at the latest, before 8pm on the day of collection.

On public and bank holidays, as well as Christmas and New Year, collection dates may vary.

Check holiday bin collection dates

Order a bin

Brown bins are available in one size - 240 litre. You can order a bin online, by phone or by writing to us.

Order a bin

Bin labels

The label below contains details of when your bins will be collected on public and bank holidays (including Christmas and New Year) in 2012. Attach it to your bin to remind you when to put it out for collection.

Download holiday collection bin label for black, blue or brown bins and food waste caddies (PDF - 525KB)