More than 70 per cent of waste can be recycled or composted, so we're is keen to make sure residents “s-know” which items can recycled, including glass jars and bottles, Tetrapak food and drink cartons, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays, metal food tins, drinks cans, aerosols and foil should all go in your blue bin or recycling sacks. Please just make sure they are clean, dry and loose.
You can also recycle Christmas cards, envelopes and some wrapping paper (as long as it doesn’t contain plastic). For more information and a full list of what can be recycled, please visit our webpage
However, not everything can be put into your blue bin or recycling sacks, including Christmas cards with glitter and some wrapping paper. To identify which wrapping paper can be recycled, simply carry out the "Scrunch Test". After removing any sticky tape or labels, scrunch the wrapping paper into a ball. If it holds its shape, then it is ok to recycle.
Recycling and general rubbish collection days will differ slightly following Christmas, with normal collection days resuming from Monday 13 January 2025. Visit our collection date webpage for a full list of the revised collection dates.
Although the council’s customer services opening hours will be slightly different for Christmas, residents can still report a missed bin online at any time, from the day after their scheduled collection day.
Cllr Richard Coe, Cabinet Member for household & regulatory services, said: “We would like to thank everyone once again for their ongoing recycling efforts this year. Christmas is a time of joy and excitement, but whilst we’re enjoying ourselves, we can still look out for our planet.
“To minimise our impact on the environment, please continue to reduce your waste, reuse when possible and recycle right. Please be aware that recycling and general rubbish collection dates change at Christmas.”
If you have a real Christmas tree this year – don’t forget you can recycle it after the festivities - a list of Christmas tree collection points around the borough is available on the our webpage
Residents with a garden waste subscription service can also chop up their tree and place it in their green bin. If your tree does not fit into the bin, or you do not have a subscription, you can take it to your nearest household recycling centre, please do not leave it next to your bin as crews won’t be able to collect it and make sure to remove all decorations before recycling.
Extra rubbish or recycling can be taken to our Stafferton Way Household Waste and Recycling Centre, which will continue to open daily 8am to 4.15pm, seven days a week over the festive period, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.