One of the most common questions in the waste removal industry is, “Can I put wood in my green bin?”. With varying types of timber and council regulations, household timber disposal can be tricky. In this article, we’re going to delve into answer the frequently asked questions regarding disposing of timber and wood, including:
- Does Wood Go in the Green Bin?
- Can You Put Timber in Recycling Bins?
- How Do I Dispose of Treated Wood?
- Can I Put Wood Ash in My Green Bin?
We’re also going to provide a number of timber disposal options and tips for how to get the most out of your green bin. Let’s start with the basics:
Does Wood Go in the Green Bin?
Green Bins are used for the disposal of household organic and garden waste. This includes items such as leaves twigs, small branches, and grass clippings. Additionally, you can also put in your fruit and vegetable scraps.
Whilst it may be tempting to throw everything in your green bin, such as treated timber and food waste, it is important to remember that not everything can be disposed of with your regular house-hold green bins.
Generally speaking, the garden waste from green bins is reprocessed into compost and mulch. Putting contaminated material into your green bin could have the potential to make the other organic materials unusable going forward.
Can You Put Timber in Recycling Bins?
Yes – wood can go in the green bin, under a few conditions.
First, your wood needs to be untreated. This means no paint, stains, varnish, or other finishing materials. These products can contain toxic materials and contaminate the organic waste in your bin. Additionally, the wood you are throwing out needs to have all fittings and nails removed as they need to be recycled separately. So, can I put wood in my green bin? Yes, if it is untreated and free from any foreign material.
The answer to “Can I put wood in my green bin?” also depends on the size and weight of the wood you are disposing of. Most bins are manually carried by garbage disposal professionals, and overloaded bins can be unsafe to carry. As such, the amount of wood you can throw out in your green bin is restricted by its size and weight. Whilst it may vary depending on your council area, the typical maximum weight for a household organics bin is 70kg. Small branches, twigs, clippings, and other small light material are ok as they are lightweight will easily fit into your bin.
How Often Can I Put Wood in My Green Bin?
Your green garden organics bin will be collected every two weeks as per your household collection schedule. So, (depending on your location) every two weeks, your organic rubbish will be taken away, and you can refill your green bin for the next pickup!
How Do I Dispose of Treated Wood?
If you have treated wood, you cannot put it in your green bin. However, there are still ways to dispose of these items safely.
If you only have a small amount of treated timber to dispose of, you can dispose of them in your regular rubbish bin. For larger amounts of treated wood, you can take the timber to a licenced landfill where they will suitably dispose of the materials. If you feel that your treated wood scraps may provide use to someone else, there are rubbish co-operatives and salvage yards that may take them to re-use or recycle. If you have a large amount of treated wood that you need to dispose of, Ridly offer leading construction waste disposal & rubbish removal Sydney services that will safely pick up and dispose of your items for you.
A few things to remember when disposing of treated timber:
- You should never use treated timber for firewood. Breathing in toxic chemicals can negatively impact your health
- Treated timber is not suitable for mulching, composting, or recycling.
- Treated wood and treated wood ash should not be buried.
Can I Put Wood Out in My Council Clean Up?
Can I put wood in my green bin? Yes, and you can also use council clean-ups to dispose of them too.
Most local councils around Australia hold regular residential clean-ups throughout the year. The clean ups allow residents to dispose of items and rubbish typically not permitted in weekly household rubbish collections. You can find the specific dates for council clean-ups by visiting your local council’s website. Although specifications may vary between areas, when disposing of wood in a council clean up, the generally accepted criteria for wood is that the items should be less than 10cm thick and shorter than 1 metre in length. You will also need to make sure your items are bundled and secured. The easiest way to do this is by tying them up with rope.
A benefit of relying on your local council clean-up is that councils will allow treated and untreated timber. However, as a safety measure, you will want to ensure that your wooden items are free of any nails, sharp points or any other accessories that could be potentially hazardous.
How Do I Dispose of Large Pieces of Wood?
Can I put wood in my green bin if it’s large and heavy? No. But there are still ways to dispose of large branches, logs, stumps or other heavy pieces of wood. Professional rubbish removal companies such as Ridly provide Green Waste Disposal Sydney services that you can use for the same day disposal of large amounts of wood, green waste and other items you cannot fit in your bin.
Can I Put Wood Ash in My Green Bin?
We’ve discussed how you can go about disposing of wood, but what about wood ash?
When considering “Can I put wood ash in my green bin?”, use the same criteria as you would for timber. If the wood was untreated, it won’t have any nasty chemical residue and can be safely disposed of in your organic waste bin. If your wood was treated or had any chemicals applied to it, the additives and toxic residue will still be present and could contaminate other organic material. To dispose of these wood ashes, you would need to put them in your general waste bin. If you have wood ash that you are unsure about or has been partially mixed with treated timber or charcoal, it is best to be safe and dispose of it in your general waste bin.
Can I Put Wood Ash in My Green Bin if It’s Still Hot?
Definitely not. Before putting wood ash or any other rubbish make sure it has cooled before putting in your bins.
Additional Tips for Using Your Green Bin
When used correctly, green waste bins are great for recycling organic material. To get the most out of your green bin and contribute to your councils’ recycling of organic waste, it is essential to know what you can and cannot put in your green bin:
What You CAN Put in Your Green Bin
- Food Scraps and Peels
- Shredded Paper
- Grass Clippings
- Untreated Timber
- Leaves
- Weeds
- Small Branches
- Plants
What You CANNOT Put In Your Green Bin
- Treated Timber
- Animal Waste
- Non-Organic Items
- Building Waste
- Plant Pots
We have also included a few additional tips to keep your green bin free from odours and unwanted pests:
1. Keep the Bin in the Shade
If you are having trouble controlling odours from your green waste bin, a potential solution could be keeping it in the shade. Green bins with organic waste typically can release an odour or smell when heat up in the sun, especially when contain vegetable scraps.
Keeping your bin in the shade will also reduce the number of insects and fruit flies attracted to your bin, as they are attracted to hot, smelly bins.
2. Layer Your Organic Waste
Can I put wood in my green bin to reduce odours? Absolutely – another great way to reduce odours in your green bin is to layer your organic waste. Certain wood products, especially wood chips, can be utilised to help reduce odours in your green bin. By layering fruit and vegetable scraps with leaves, lawn clippings or other green debris, this can help to reduce odours coming from your green bin!
3. Wrap Veggie Scraps in Newspaper
If you don’t have much green waste to layer your veggie scraps with, you can also use newspaper, which breaks down later and helps reduce smells by containing and soaking up odours.
4. Clean Out Your Bin After It is Emptied
Many people still have odours coming from their bin even when they are empty. After emptying your bin, you can clean off any residue and remaining liquid by rinsing it with water.
How Do I Dispose of Wooden Home Goods?
Whether it be homewares, children’s toys or furniture, we’ve all had unwanted timber possessions that we have wanted to dispose of at one point or another. If your unwanted wooden items are still in good condition, you can donate them. Donating them to a person or organisation who can use them will extend the products lifetime and keep them out of landfill.
If you require further assistance with disposing of any wooden material, construction waste or any other type of rubbish, Ridly Rubbish Removal provide same day rubbish removal services all across Sydney. If you would like more information, call the waste disposal experts on 0491 181 130 or send an enquiry through our online quote form.