Using your brown bin

The brown bin scheme is proving a real hit with Ipswich residents and covers nearly 46,000 properties across the town.

In 2022/23 Ipswich residents recycled 7,769 tonnes of their garden waste.

Collections

The brown composting bins are collected once a fortnight. To find out the next collection date for your street, use our online tool by clicking the button below. Please note that the button will open in a new window.

Find your next bin collection date

To ensure your bin is collected, please avoid overloading it. Bins that are too heavy may not be emptied.

Brown bins come in two sizes: small (140 litres) and large (240 litres). If you would like to change the size of your bin, please let us know.

Please help us by making sure that you put your bin out for collection at the right time and in the right place.

For additional information about your waste collections, refer to the guidance document below:

Download Household Waste Collection Arrangements and Guidance (PDF)

What can you put in your brown bin?

Your brown bin is for composting your garden waste. Please place all of your garden waste loose in the brown bin. There is no need to put it in bags of any type. Please do not use compostable, biodegradable, or corn starch bags.

YES please!

Grass cuttings
Fruit and vegetable peelings
Leaves
Light garden prunings
Hedge trimmings
Untreated wood
Sawdust and pet straw (clean)
Weeds
Dead flowers
Plants
Turf
Real Christmas trees
Windfall fruit

NO thank you!

Household or kitchen waste
Teabags
Coffee grounds
Soil
Compost
Shredded paper
Compostable, biodegradable, or corn starch bags
Carrier bags/black bin bags
Stones
Egg shells
Cat litter
Animal waste/faeces
Meat/Fish
Bread/Rice/Pasta
Cardboard boxes/egg boxes
Invasive plants e.g., Japanese Knotweed, ragwort, spear/creeping thistle
Rubble

It is important to separate your garden waste and not include it in your black (rubbish) bin.

Thanks to the commitment of Ipswich residents last year, around 10,000 tonnes of green waste is collected via the brown bins each year.

Garden Waste Bulk Collections

If you have garden waste that will not fit in your brown bin, we offer a chargeable bulky garden waste collection service.

A green bulk collection consists of up to five securely tied bundles (manageable by one person) of garden waste (tree prunings etc.) removed from your front garden.

Please visit our Disposing of garden waste page for more information.

Soil improver

Soil improver can be purchased throughout the year from Household Waste Recycling Centres in pre-filled bags. You can call Suffolk County Council on 0345 606 6067 for more details.

Producing your own compost

Ipswich Borough Council has partnered with Get Composting to offer exclusive deals on home compost bins, water butts, and accessories. To view the latest offers, visit their website.

Love food but hate waste?

In the UK we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year, shockingly the majority of which could have been eaten.

If you find yourself with leftover food, rather than throw it away take at look at the delicious recipes on the Love Food Hate Waste website. You'll also find useful tips on how to store food correctly and portion planning.

For more advice on how to reduce your food waste, visit Suffolk Recycling's #FoodSavvy campaign website.