NEW EUROPEAN LEGISLATION, coming into effect in January 2024, will entitle every household to a brown bin collection service.

Many in rural areas currently are targeted with the introduction of a brown bin, for organic and food waste, collection service.

Currently 68% of households in Ireland can avail of the service from their waste collector.

Households across the country are being urged to contact their waste collector and request a brown bin service next year.

The European Union sought to “step up action” to prevent food loss and waste across its member states as its ‘Farm to Fork strategy’ highlighted the excessive amounts of food that is incorrectly disposed of.

The Enviornmental Protections Agency has previously made calls for a brown bin service to be rolled out to all customers, after it found improper recycling and waste disposal practices was rampant among households.

The European Commission proposed this year, as part of its Action Plan, legally binding targets to reduce food waste across the EU – making each household entitled to a proper waste collection service.

Pauline McDonogh, spokesperson for MyWaste.ie said: “Whether you live low in a valley, or high on a hill, the forthcoming household food and biowaste regulations means everyone, everywhere can now avail of a brown bin service.”

All types of food and organic waste are accepted in brown bins including raw and cooked meat and fish, plate scrapings, along with fruit and vegetable peelings, food-soiled paper napkins, paper towels, pizza boxes as well as grass clippings and light garden waste.

Des Crinion Chairperson of Irish Waste Management Association said: “With more and more households having access to the brown bin, it will allow more people to  play their part to separate waste into the different streams and help Ireland achieve its national recycling target.”

“Recycling waste correctly, by putting it in the brown bin, is a vital step in our collective efforts to achieve targets and tackle climate change,” he added.