Christmas recycling
Over the Christmas period we all have a lot more items to recycle. Bottles, cans, cardboard packaging, paper cards (without glitter), envelopes, Christmas trees, washed aluminium foil and dishes are all recyclable. To find out how to recycle these items read the advice below.
Items you cannot recycle are the fronts of glittery, or foil Christmas cards and foil, or glittery wrapping paper. These should go in your blue bag collection.
Real Christmas trees
Real Christmas trees can go into the garden waste collection, please saw your tree into pieces that are small enough to fit easily in your garden waste bin. Make sure you leave enough space for the bin lid to close.
Household waste recycling centres will recycle real Christmas trees if you don't have a garden waste collection.
Register a tree for collection on the Just Helping website. Hospice at Home would welcome a donation for the collection of your tree.
To compost a Christmas tree you will need to shred it first.
Garden waste, bag and box recycling collection days
Consult your recycling calendar to find the changes to your garden waste and recycling bag and box collections.
Use your postcode to search for a PDF copy of your recycling calendar, if you have mislaid your calendar.
Alternatively, take recycling to recycling centres, or household waste recycling centres.
View recycling centre locations to find out what you can recycle at each location.
Household waste recycling centres take a wider range of items to recycle.
Christmas wrapping paper and cards
We cannot collect Christmas wrapping paper for recycling. Wrapping paper is often shiny, dyed, laminated, glittery or plastic backed, and covered in sticky tape. None of these can be recycled. This also applies to glittery and foil Christmas cards. Please place wrapping paper and the fronts of glittery and foil cards into your refuse. Please place the backs of glittery and foil cards into your paper and cardboard recycling bag.
Christmas stamps
Charities collect stamps to sell to raise funds. To donate stamps, first cut stamps from envelopes leaving a margin around them. Then take, or send stamps to a charity of your choice. See the list below for a few charities that collect used stamps.
Bottles and cans
To recycle bottles (please remove metal and plastic screw caps), or cans, put them in your next bag and box collection. Consult your recycling calendar for any changes due to Christmas. Alternatively, take bottles and cans to recycling centres, or household waste recycling centres.
View recycling centre locations to find out what you can recycle at each location.
Household waste recycling centres take a wider range of items to recycle.
Aluminium foil
View recycling centre locations to find out where you can recycle clean aluminium foil and foil dishes.