Brown bin FAQs
Why does AES offer a brown bin?
At AES we are dedicated to helping our customers improve the quality of our environment and to reduce their carbon footprint. Your brown bin is for your food and garden waste and reduces the amount of waste going into your green bin. A significant volume of the household waste being sent to landfill is comprised of food and garden waste, so the use of this bin keeps unnecessary waste out of landfill.
In areas where AES provides a brown bin service, we have discovered that the average family can reduce the amount of waste going into the green bin by up to 23%! This will reduce your family’s carbon footprint, saving the equivalent of half the emissions of the average family car in a year.
What can I put in the brown organic bin?
Food waste:
- Bones
- Bread
- Confectionery
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Cooked and raw foods
- Fat
- Dairy products
- Egg and egg shells
- Fruits/vegetables and peelings
- Tealeaves and tea bags
- Meat, bones and fish (including fish shells)
- Noodles, pasta and rice
- Nuts
- Peanut butter
- Pizza
- Sauces
Green Waste:
- Hedge clippings
- Grass clippings (not chemically treated)
- Leaves
- Pine cones
- Plants
- Roots
- Sawdust and wood shavings
- Seeds
- Straw and hay
- Twigs and branches (maximum 2 inch diameter)
- Weeds (unsprayed)
Other Items:
- Feathers
- Hair (human and pet)
- Paper food wrappings and bags
- Paper plates (no styrofoam)
- Paper napkins and paper towels (when soiled with food waste)
- Cut and dead flowers
- Wine corks
- Pizza boxes (greasy or soiled)
- Paper cake/muffin liners
What cannot be put in the brown bin?
- Ashes
- Nappies
- Cigarette butts
- Chemically sprayed grass/weeds
- Clothes and rags
- Fast food cup lids
- Dryer sheets and lint
- Glass, metal and plastic
- Medical waste
- Personal hygiene products
- Rocks, bricks and gravel
- Paint, motor oil or petroleum
- Plastic bags
- Vacuum cleaner bags and contents
- Wax
What happens if I put the wrong items in my organic bin?
Putting unsuitable items in the brown bin will cause contamination and will result in the bin contents being unsuitable for composting. Your bin will be rejected and we will place a contamination sticker on your bin. If this happens, please remove all unsuitable items and your bin will be emptied on your next brown bin collection date.
Do I put my brown bin out in the same way as my green bin?
Yes, but on alternate weeks. Please check your collection calendar for the collection schedule.
What happens if I put the wrong bin out for collection?
We will not be able to empty it - please ensure that you leave your bins out in accordance with your collection calendar.
Will the brown bin get messy inside?
Please wrap any messy waste in newspaper before you place it in the bin. A sheet of paper at the base of your bin will help to keep it clean.
Can I use compostable bin liners in my brown bin?
Compostable bags can only be used if they comply with Standard BS EN 13432. Please check the packaging of bin liners prior to purchase to ensure that they comply with this standard. Bags complying with this standard can be purchased from most supermarkets and DIY stores.
AES recommend Greensax bags which are available in a variety of sizes from major supermarkets for use in our brown bins. Please visit www.greensax.com for more details.
Must I have a brown bin if I am already composting my own material?
No, please let us know if you do not want a brown bin. We will then just empty your green bin once every two weeks and your blue recycle bin on alternate weeks.
What does AES do with the material collected in the brown bins?
It will be taken to a composting site to be composted.
Who do I call if I have further questions?
You can call the AES Customer Care Team on 1850 650 655 Monday to Friday 8.30am – 5.00pm and we will be happy to answer any further queries you may have.
