Mayo households and businesses contribute to surge in brown bin presentation

MyWaste, Ireland’s official waste management guide, has today launched National Food Waste Recycling Week 2026 at Bord Bia Bloom Festival. Coinciding with the launch, MyWaste has also announced Jo Linehan, renowned journalist and sustainability advocate, as its official brand ambassador for the year. Now in its fifth year, the campaign is running from May 30 to June 7 and continues to raise awareness on best practice for food waste management.

Preliminary data for 2025 from the National Waste Collection Permit Office (NWCPO) shows significant progress in the uptake of food waste recycling services with over 1.4 million households across Ireland now using brown bins. Presentation rates having surged to 70%, highlighting Ireland’s growing commitment to food waste recycling and the circular economy.

Between 2024 and 2025, the number of households with access to the brown bin service increased by 10%, and presentation rates grew by 3%. All types of households across Ireland are now engaged with food waste recycling in both rural and urban areas, as well as all housing types, including apartments.

While food waste prevention remains the priority during National Food Waste Recycling Week, MyWaste reminds every one of the simple steps needed to make sure that inedible food waste (peels, rinds, eggshells) is sorted correctly in line with best practice.

National Food Waste Recycling Week not only celebrates the collective effort of households, businesses, waste collectors, local authorities, and communities across Ireland, but also highlights the clear opportunity to build on this positive momentum. This year’s awareness campaign is focused on reducing bin contamination and ensuring more regular brown bin presentation, even if it is only half full. Frequent brown bin presentation helps to ensure increasing volumes of nutrient-rich fresh food waste that can be transformed to produce nutrient-rich compost and valuable biomethane energy. Recycling food waste is directly contributing to Ireland’s transition to a circular economy.

Pauline McDonogh, Circular Economy Co-ordinator at MyWaste, said: “National Food Waste Recycling Week is a chance to recognise the progress that has been made in brown bin roll-out and use across Ireland. The latest data shows that hundreds of thousands of brown bins are now being presented for collection every year, which is a very positive sign of how far we have come. A lot of work has already gone into expanding access to the service, raising awareness and supporting correct use, and that effort is paying off. There is still more to do, and this year’s campaign is about building on that success, making sure food waste is sorted correctly, contamination is prevented, and brown bins are presented regularly, without the need to be full, so the system works as well as it can for every household and business.”

She added: “When food waste is sorted correctly and kept free from glass, plastic and metal, it can be transformed into high-quality compost and renewable energy. “That compost has many valuable uses, including enriching soil and supporting healthy plant growth in gardens, landscaping, parks and agriculture”.

The brown bin service accepts a wide range of food waste, including raw and cooked meat and fish, plate scrapings, fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds and food-soiled paper items such as napkins, paper towels, and the greasy part of pizza boxes. Light garden waste like grass clippings, hedge clippings, spent compost, and dead plants can also be included. However, to ensure the quality of compost and renewable energy produced, it's crucial to keep out all contaminants. This means absolutely no glass, plastic, metal, packaging (all packaging should be removed from food waste), stones, rubble, barbeque coals, plastic plant pots, or large branches.

To maximize the impact of your brown bin, MyWaste encourages you to focus on these key actions:

Line your caddy: Always use certified compostable liners in your kitchen caddy for a cleaner, more hygienic experience.

Present brown bin more often: Don't wait for your brown bin to be completely full. Put it out regularly and on the dates for collection, even if partially full, to maintain a consistent recycling routine and ensure efficiency.

Stay vigilant against contamination: Take a moment to double-check items, remove all packaging, and be aware of common 'bin intruders' to keep your brown bin pure.

For more information on proper usage, visit here for a comprehensive A-Z guide, helpful tips, and answers to frequently asked questions. Households and businesses can also contact their local waste collector with any queries.