What bin does this go in? A definitive guide to binning (2024)

It’s time to re-evaluate how we think about waste. Once we leave our wheelie bins out to be collected, most of us never give those disposed of chocolate wrappers, potato peels or teabags a second thought. But what if we were to think of our waste as something with value? If we considered that our rubbish could be made into a new material, fertiliser or compost, or converted into an energy source, perhaps our bins wouldn’t look so grim.

Thanks to the untold environmental damage it has caused, landfilling our planet is no longer an option, which means we must find other uses for the things we throw away. That means reducing the waste we generate and being a lot more discerning and aware of what we place in each bin and why.

The average Irish person generated 330kg of waste in 2019 (the latest year for which data is available) — this is about the same weight as a baby African elephant.

While this figure includes bulky items, batteries and bottles that are dropped off by households at local bring centres and civic amenity sites, most of this waste encompasses the three categories collected from our homes: recycling, organic and residual waste.

Where does our waste go?

The packaging waste from our recycling bin is brought to one of the many recycling facilities around Ireland, where the facility’s machinery and staff sort it. The materials are then separated into groups of plastic, paper, aluminium and cardboard and are baled and redistributed to specialist companies that recycle these materials to create new raw materials for packaging and other products. Ireland currently recycles 31 per cent of all plastics, but that needs to increase to at least 50 per cent by 2025 to achieve recycling targets set by the EU.

Food or organic waste, which is placed in your brown bin, is composted, with the remainder going to anaerobic digestion, a process whereby organic matter degrades naturally and can be used as fertiliser for horticulture, landscaping and agriculture. Food waste recovered was up 15 per cent in 2019, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 63 per cent of our food waste still ends up in the wrong bin.

Finally, black bin waste, anything that can’t be disposed of in either the recycling or food waste bin, is sent to a landfill or for incineration. Ireland is slowly phasing out its landfills, with just three remaining. Two municipal waste incinerators in Ireland accept waste and convert it into energy. In 2019 46 per cent of Ireland’s municipal waste was incinerated, a percentage far too high when incineration — which creates air pollution and requires strong environmental controls — should be a last resort.

Rubbish mistakes

According to Repak, a not-for-profit environmental organisation leading Ireland’s recycling and packaging waste management and education, the most common items wrongly placed into green household recycling bins include nappies, wipes, bags of ash, clothes and garden waste. Unfortunately a recycling bin that contains any of these items contaminates it, affecting other items for recycling and causing problems for staff and machinery trying to sort household recycling at waste facilities.

Laura Sherry, head of communications at Repak, says: “Knowing what items can and cannot go into the recycling bin, as well as ensuring all packaging items are clean, dry and loose before being placed into the recycling bin, is the first step people need to take to protect the environment for future generations.”

What needs to change?

As a country we have a lot of work to do to improve how we bin. According to the EPA, 57 per cent of black bin waste could be reduced and 32 per cent of what we place in our green bin shouldn’t be there. If you’ve been chucking it in and hoping for the best, it’s time to clean up your act.

Do’s and don’ts

The most important thing to remember is placing an item in your black bin should be a last resort. Much of the waste we generate daily falls into the food or packaging categories, most of which can be placed in a green or brown bin. When recycling items, ensure they are clean, dry and loose — wet or soiled recycling items can contaminate the entire bin, according to Repak. Keep a small bin in your kitchen for all food waste and empty it each evening. If you begin to separate food waste your black bin contents should start to decrease, which means less going to landfills or incineration and more waste being put to good use.

Still unsure?

Even within these definitive lists, some items can be hard to allocate. Receipts, for example, are made with treated thermal paper, making them nonrecyclable and relegating them to the black bin. Bulky items such as children’s toys, buggies or carriers should be brought to a local bring centre where they can be disposed of properly. As for wrapping paper, it can only be recycled if it is free from sticky tape, glitter and foil — all other wrapping paper must be disposed of in the general waste or black bin. Soft plastics (any plastic that can be scrunched in your hand, ie bread wrappers and frozen food bags) can, as of last year, now go into the recycling bin once they are clean, dry and loose.

If you still have questions, head to repak.ie and mywaste.ie for more guidance on what to dump where.

Separate and sort

Black bin
Aerosols
Animal waste
Bathroom waste
Black plastic bags
Cold ashes
Nappies
Soiled packaging
Used candles

Green bin
Baked goods wrappers
Biscuit tins
Breakfast cereal bags
Bubble wrap
Cardboard packaging
Cheese pack wrappers
Detergent bottles
Dishwasher bags
Drink cans
Egg boxes
Food cans
Fruit and vegetable bags
Kitchen roll tubes Milk cartons
Newspapers
Plastic food trays
Plastic shopping bags

Brown bin
Coffee grounds and filters
Cooked and raw food
Dairy products
Eggs and egg shells
Fruit, vegetables and peelings
Hedge clippings, plants and weeds
Meat, fish and bones
Teabags

Not allowed in any bin
Batteries
Electrical items
Glass
Medical waste
Paint

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