Brown Bins

Your brown bin allows you to recycle garden waste and a collection calendar will be issued to you.

These items can go in your brown bin

Flowers and plants
Grass clippings
Hedge trimmings
Leaves
Prunings
Twigs and small branches
Weeds

Please note cardboard should now be recycled in the blue bin.

The following items should not be put in your brown bin

Plastic bags, containers or packaging
Bin liners
Stones, soil or rubble
Metal
Glass
Cat or dog waste
Kitchen waste
Drinks cartons
Fencing
Plant pots
Polystyrene
Wire mesh

Please remember that it is important to place the correct items in your bin. If your brown bin contains any items that cannot be composted, it will not be emptied until these items have been removed.

Maximise your Space

Plant waste production has peak periods: grass cutting in the summer, clearing of leaves during the autumn, trimming of shrubs before early spring etc. During these peak periods your bin space may not be enough. On those occasions there are alternatives:

Store your plant waste in bags until your next collection when you have space. Plant waste is not produced continuously in the same way as green bin waste is. It also does not attract vermin therefore it can be stored. If storing in bags, leave the bags open until the moisture has evaporated. This will get rid of the damp grass smell.
Take your excess garden waste to either Glenochil Nursery on the A91 between Menstrie and Alva, or Forthbank Recycling Centre, Bowhouse Road, Alloa where it will be recycled.
Request a bulky uplift of your garden waste, please note that bulky uplifts are chargeable.
Compost your garden waste. As well as being a good way of getting rid of your extra grass clippings, you can also compost fruit and vegetable waste from the kitchen. Visit the composting page to find out more about the subsidised bins that are available from WRAP.
Use the grass cuttings to make a good, short-term , moisture retaining mulch for fruit, vegetables and other plants. A mulch laid over old newspapers or cardboard will control weeds for a few months before everything rots away.
Consider leaving the mowings on the lawn as it will help return the fertility back to the grass and will reduce the need to purchase fertilisers to feed the lawn. Only do this if the cuttings are short and the conditions are not too cold or wet. Long grass cuttings lying about in the cold and wet will linger for longer.

What can I do if my brown bin smells?

Wet grass smells if left in a closed container. Create an air gap by placing a wedge between the lid and the bin. Leave enough space that will keep the rain out but will still allow the moisture in the grass to evaporate. It is the moisture in the grass that causes the bin to smell. By doing this, it also makes the grass less likely to stick to your bin, making it easier for us to empty.

You can find out more about what happens to the composting of garden waste by visiting the Waste Aware Scotland web page.