The short answer
Published by John Fox, BinDay. Last updated 29 October 2026.
Take wood and timber to a civic amenity site rather than treating them as household recycling. MyWaste says only thin twigs in small quantities can go in a brown bin. Thicker wood takes too long to break down during industrial composting. Check the site accepts your timber before travelling.
Last checked 29 October 2026 by BinDay against the sources below. This guide covers the Republic of Ireland; bin colours and collector instructions can differ.
Why this answer
MyWaste’s wood and timber guidance covers building material and directs it to civic amenity sites. Use its waste services locator to find a suitable site.
The brown-bin exception is narrow: small quantities of thin twigs. MyWaste says thicker pieces take too long to break down in industrial composting. Do not treat timber as equivalent to thin garden twigs.
What to do
- Separate timber from small quantities of thin twigs.
- Check that a civic amenity site accepts the wood you have.
- Bring the timber there. Keep the brown-bin exception to small quantities of thin twigs.
Common mistake to avoid
Do not put thick wood or building timber in the brown bin because it is a natural material.
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Sources and local checks
For a collection point, check what it accepts before travelling. For household-bin instructions, find your collector. How BinDay checks sources and corrects mistakes.
Council pages for this item
Irish local authorities license private collectors rather than running household bin rounds. Use the council page for civic amenity and official waste links, then confirm your collector.