Is it illegal to put garden waste in black bin?

AS the weather warms up, many of us will be thinking about getting back out into the garden. But whether it's mowing the lawn or planting new flowers – there will be green waste. Here is what you need to do with it.

While it is not illegal to put garden waste in a black bin, it is recommended that residents purchase a brown bin. This allows the materials to be recycled which is the most environmentally friendly solution. Local councils often have specific regulations around the disposal of garden waste to ensure it gets recycled properly.

Be sure to check out your local council website to find out the rules. If you put garden waste in your black bin (general waste) or recycling bin, several things can happen. Firstly, garden waste can contaminate recyclable materials, making the entire bin unsuitable for recycling.

When this happens, the waste has to be burnt instead. If the waste collection service detects garden waste in the wrong bin, they may refuse to collect it, leaving you with uncollected waste. You must remove the wrong waste so they can empty the bin on your next collection day.

If you don’t want to wait until your next collection day, you can take your waste to your nearest tip. Put these in your brown bin: Some councils provide a home collection service for garden waste - but there may be a small fee for green waste collection. Since April 2024, councils have set out an annual fee for the fortnightly pick-up of brown-lidded bins.

The decision is part of a sche.