With Christmas fast approaching, the Council’s Waste team is encouraging residents to recycle as much as they can over the forthcoming festive period.

The customary traditions of feasting, celebrating and the exchanging of gifts means that waste from consumer packaging is produced in far greater quantity than at any other time of the year. However, you don’t need to put it all in a black sack! Follow our handy advice below to ensure you do your part for the environment by recycling as much as you can over this coming Christmas.

How should I recycle my Christmas cards and wrapping paper?

Follow the guidance in the table below to see how to recycle greetings cards and wrapping paper over Christmas:

Waste type:	Waste container:
Christmas cards without glitter or embellishments White and brown wrapping paper, and; Non-glittery/non-metallic wrapping paper	Green recycling box
Christmas cards with glitter and/or embellishments Glittery/metallic wrapping paper	Black sack refuse*

*To be turned into energy from waste.

Note: if you haven’t bought your wrapping paper yet, visit Recycle Devon for inspiration using green alternatives such as fabric wraps!

What can I do with all my leftover food waste?

As disappointing as it is to see good food go to waste, for any peelings, plate scrapings and left overs, make sure you use your blue kerbside caddy. If your caddy is full, you can place any extra food waste in a compostable liner or a plastic bag and leave it on top of your caddy for collection.

You can also visit Recycle Devon's Love Food Hate Waste webpage for help and tips on how to waste less food and save money.

How can I recycle my real Christmas tree?

If you subscribe to the Council’s garden waste collection service and you’re planning on getting a real Christmas tree this year, you can put your tree out for collection alongside your brown bin or garden waste sack throughout January. If you’re not a subscriber, be responsible and take your Christmas tree to your local recycling centre when you’re next passing, see Find a recycling centre.

Will my collection days be affected by the Christmas and New Year holidays?

Depending on your weekly cycle, your collection days could be delayed by up to three days following Christmas and the New Year, until our collection teams work the following successive Saturdays to catch up.

To find out your revised collection dates, you can:

• refer to the table below;
• check your waste collection calendar;
• visit our Christmas & New Year collections webpage, or;
• use our online collection day look-up facility.

 

The refuse and recycling teams will be working hard to ensure your collections are completed as scheduled, but please bear in mind, this will likely be at times later than usual due to the greater amounts of waste put out for collection.

If you do need to report a missed collection this can be done via our website.

Normal collection day	Revised collection day
Tuesday 24 December (Christmas Eve)	As scheduled
Wednesday 25 December (Christmas Day)	Friday 27 December
Thursday 26 December (Boxing Day)	Saturday 28 December
Friday 27 December	Monday 30 December
Monday 30 December	Tuesday 31 January
Tuesday 31 December (New Year's Eve)	Thursday 2 January
Wednesday 1 January (New Year's Day)	Friday 3 January
Thursday 2 January	Saturday 4 January
Friday 3 January	Monday 6 January
Monday 6 January	Tuesday 7 January
Tuesday 7 January	Wednesday 8 January
Wednesday 8 January	Thursday 9 January
Thursday 9 January	Friday 10 January
Friday 10 January	Saturday 11 January

Please note: all waste should be out by the kerbside by 6:00am on the revised collection days.

For more information on recycling at Christmas and for handy hints, visit:

• Recycle Devon, or;
• middevon.gov.uk/christmasrecycling.