About your brown bin

We will empty your brown bin once every two weeks all year round. Please make sure you leave your bin out by 7am on collection day as collection times can vary.

For operational reasons and because some households in the borough do have gardens and some do not we have three different sizes of brown recycling bin.  These are: 

240 litre brown bin

• This is our standard full-size wheeled bin suitable for households with a good-sized garden.

140 litre brown bin

• This is our small wheeled bin suitable for households with a small garden.

23 litre brown bin

• This is our smallest bin without wheels most suited to households that have no garden or only a very small garden.  If you have a 23 litre bin you should use this mainly for food waste but you can also put small amounts of plant waste in your bin it fits inside with all your food waste. 

What you can recycle in your brown bin

Garden waste

• Grass cuttings.
• Hedge clippings.
• Cut flowers and plants.
• Leaves.
• Bark and twigs.
• Small branches and small logs.

What we don't want

• Plastic bags.
• Soil. 
• Big logs. 

Food waste

• Meat and fish - raw and cooked including bones.
• Fruit and vegetables - raw and cooked, including peelings.
• Dairy products such as eggs and cheese.
• Bread, cakes and pastries.
• Rice, pasta and beans.
• Uneaten food from your plates and dishes.
• Tea bags and coffee grounds.   

We don't want

• Any type of packaging.
• Plastic or paper bags.
• Liquids, for example, fruit juice or milk.
• Cooking oil or liquid fat.

About food waste recycling

Why recycle food waste?

Approximately 20% of what goes in a household bin is food waste. If food waste is buried in a landfill site, when it breaks down it creates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. This contributes to climate change. By recycling your food waste, you will:

• reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill;
• help the environment; and
• help save money.

 How to use your kitchen caddy

1. Line your caddy with one of the compostable liners we have given you and fill it with your food waste. Do not use any other type of bag to line your caddy. 
2. When your caddy is full, tie the liner and put it inside your brown recycling bin with your garden waste.  

Tips for recycling food waste

• Do not leave your food waste uncovered, and make sure you keep your caddy lid closed.  
• Line your caddy with the compostable liners we have given you. This will help prevent food waste from sticking to the sides of your caddy and help contain any odours.
• Squeeze any air out of your liners and tie them up before you put them in your brown bin.
• You will usually only need to change your liner when it is full. 
• Wash your caddy regularly with soap and hot water. And don't forget to wash your hands after handling your food waste.
• Try to store you brown bin away from direct sunlight.

How to order more liners for your caddy

If you need more liners, use the yellow tag that is wrapped around a liner towards the end of your roll.  Attach the yellow tag to a handle on your brown bin when you put it out for emptying.  Our collection crew will leave you a new roll of liners.   

Your questions answered

When will you empty my brown bin?

We will empty your brown bin once every two weeks all year round.  Make sure your bin is out by 7am on your collection day. You can check your collection day and dates online - see the link under 'related pages' in the right-hand navigation.

Can I put my food waste straight into my brown bin?

Yes you can, but we provide a kitchen caddy and compostable liners to help make food waste recycling cleaner and easier for you.

How many liners are on a roll of compostable liners and how often should I change them?

Each roll of compostable liners has 52 liners.  Please use these as sparingly as you can.  You will usually only need to change your liner when it is full.

Can I use plastic bags to line my caddy instead?

No.  You must only use the compostable liners that we give you.  These liners decompose (break down), plastic bags do not.

My brown bin often gets full, can I have an extra brown bin?

We will not be able to give you an extra brown bin, but you can save space in your bin by composting at home and cutting garden waste such as branches, twigs and plants into smaller pieces. You can also take extra garden waste to any household waste recycling centre in Greater Manchester.

Can I put soil in my brown bin?

Only small amounts of soil that are on the roots of pulled up plants. If the bin is heavy with soil we will not be able to lift it which means we won't be able to empty it for you.

Can I use my own compostable bags for recycling my food waste in my brown bin?

No. Please only use the compostable liners we provide you with.  These meet the technical specification required by the Waste Development Authority. 

What happens to food waste when it is recycled?

The food waste is taken to an enclosed composting facility where a natural process turns it into quality compose for use in commercial farming and gardening.

Where can I get advice on how to cut back on my food waste?

Visit the Love Food Hate Waste web site (see the link on the right-hand side) for:

• top tips for making the most of the food you buy;
• five sure ways to save money on your food bill;
• help with perfect portion sizes; and
• great recipes for using leftovers.

Can I put my real Christmas tree in my brown bin?

You can put it in your brown bin if you chop it up into small pieces and it fits inside with the bin lid fully closed. Trees can also be taken to any household waste recycling centre in Greater Manchester.

Help us collect your waste

For more information about bin collections and more questions and answers go to the 'help us collect your waste' page. Please use the link at the right-hand side of this web page.   

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