All accessible properties in Suffolk Coastal receive a
fortnightly collection of green waste using the brown wheeled
bins. The waste is taken to a multi-million pound composting
facility at Parham run by Bioganix where it is turned into a useful
soil improver.
In June 2006, Suffolk Coastal was able to change the rules
regarding what could go in the brown bin - now not only can it take
garden waste but it can accept all types of food, cooked or raw,
shredded paper, and cardboard. This was made possible by the
opening of the Parham facility.
How to use your brown bin
Please use your brown wheeled bin for all of the
following:
- Grass cuttings
- Weeds (but no Japanese Knotweed)
- Straw
- Dead flowers
- Bedding plants
- Leaves
- Light shrub cuttings
- Hedge trimmings
- Sawdust
- Untreated wood chippings
- Fruit and vegetable peelings
- Spoilt fruit and vegetables
- Meat, fish and bone scraps
- Waste eggs and dairy products
- Waste cereal, bread, pasta and pastry
- Tea bags and coffee grounds
- Cardboard
- Food packaging such as cereal packets and cardboard egg
boxes
- Newspaper if it is used to wrap food waste
- Shredded paper
- Yellow Pages
Food related items can be raw or cooked. We recommend
double wrapping food items in newspaper to stop smells and
flies. Please do not put any of the
items listed above in plastic bags or biodegradable bags
in your brown bin as this will prevent the composting process.
Compostable bags can be used, but they must specifically state on
them that they are '100% compostable'.
Do not put any of the following items in the brown
bin:
- Plastic bags or film
- Cans, tins or foil
- Soil or stones
- Treated wood
- Glass
- Textiles or carpets
- Plastic
If your brown bin contains any of the items
above it will not be emptied as these items are not suitable for
composting.
Help us to provide the best service possible by following these
guidelines:
- Please remember that collections start at 7:30am.
- Put the brown bin at the boundary of your property where your
access meets the public highway.
- Do not force too much waste into the brown bin as it can stick
inside the bin and prevent it from being emptied.
- Please ensure that the lid can be closed when it is presented
for collection. If the lid is open then the bin will not be
emptied.
- Please take your bin in as soon as you can after
collection.
If the brown bin is not presented in the correct place by 7:30
on the day of collection, or contains any incorrect items, it will
not be emptied.
If you are unable to push the bin when it is full, for instance
due to infirmity, contact us on 01394
444000 and we will arrange to collect the bin from
a convenient location on your property.
If you would like a second brown bin they are available for a
small annual charge, call us on 01394 444000
or email
scsltd@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk for
more information.
What happens to the green waste?
The green organic waste collected in the brown bins is delivered
to an enclosed composting facility run by Bioganix at Parham where
it is processed using in-vessel composting technology. The waste is
mixed and chopped before entering large steel drums which
continually rotate to mix and aerate the waste. This significantly
accelerates the composting process in a controlled environment. The
resulting compost is then screened to 12mm before the final
pasteurisation stage. Compost is now fully compliant with relevant
legislation and ready for dispatch.
Find out more about
how green waste is treated by Bioganix at Parham
(new window).
The end product is high in many essential plant nutrients
desirable to local farmers for crop production and hence acts as an
attractive alternative to artificial fertiliser. With the
additional benefit of increasing soil organic matter this has
resulted in all compost produced by the Bioganix composting
facility at Parham being utilised by the agricultural
market.
Home composting
If you find that you have too much garden waste and vegetable
waste to fit in your brown bin why not try home composting. Home
composting is the most environmentally friendly way to deal with
your garden and vegetable waste and Suffolk Coastal, in partnership
with other local authorities in Suffolk is offering
home compost bins at greatly reduced prices.
Alternatively, you can take garden waste to
the household waste recycling centres (new
window) at Foxhall, Felixstowe or Leiston:
- Felixstowe - Carr Road (off the end of
Langer Road).
- Leiston - Lovers Lane (road to Sizewell Power
Station).
- Foxhall - 1 mile west of A12, 1 mile before
Speedway Stadium.
Opening times are:
- 1 November to 31 January - 8am until 4pm.
- 1 February to 31 March - 8am until 5pm.
- 1 April to 30 September - 8am until 6pm.
- 1 October to 31 October - 8am until
5pm.