Not everything can be thrown in the normal rubbish (stock image) (Image: Getty)
The holiday season inevitably leads to a spike in household waste, from the mountains of cardboard packaging to the piles of Christmas cards and gift bags. Amid the post- clear-out, bin men across the country ramp up their efforts to handle the increased demand for rubbish disposal.
However, one dedicated refuse collector has offered crucial advice on correctly sorting waste as normal service resumes after Christmas Day. Due to the festive period, changes to waste and recycling collection schedules are typical, with pick-up days being moved to accommodate the holidays.
For residents who usually have their on December 25, this might mean a rescheduled collection today, December 27, or for those with a December 26 slot, collections could move to December 28. These changes can differ based on local council policies, .
:
Yet, when the time comes for collectors to take away the bins, householders play a key role in conservation by ensuring that they separate their waste correctly to avoid extra work for those processing it afterward. To help out, Danny, a bin man from St Helens Council, took to their page to run a ‘what goes where, Christmas edition’, revealing insights that surprised many viewers.
Danny has provided some pro recycling tips alongside a video that explains the right way to separate rubbish for collection after Christmas, stating: “What goes where? Recycling and waste collections start up again tomorrow [December 27] after a short Christmas break… so make sure you’re putting things in the right bins/bags.”
He further specifies that “Wrapping paper, gift bags and Christmas cards belong in the brown bin [non-recyclable]. Cardboard goes into the green bag [recyclable cardboard] after being flattened.”
As Danny acknowledges and as many comments underline, it’s key to note that each council may use different coloured bins – brown might mean garden waste for some areas. Also, various locales permit recycling of wrapping paper, gift bags and cards.
Recycle Now states that paper-based greeting cards and envelopes can be recycled at home or at certain recycling points outside of the home. However, parts of greeting cards that can’t be recycled are:
- Any embellishments such as ribbons or glitter, which you should tear off before recycling
- Batteries from musical cards, which could be recycled at official points
Similarly, wrapping paper is recyclable if it passes the ‘scrunch test’. Recycle Now advises: “if it scrunches, it can be recycled”. But any sticky tape or decorations like ribbons or bows must be removed.
Foil or glitter-decorated paper cannot be recycled. Non-metallic gift bags are also recyclable, but if they have glitter or glue, those parts should not be recycled.
Forge Recycling reports that most local councils offer collection of Christmas cards, gift bags and wrapping through mixed recycling bins, but you should verify your local council’s guidelines using the .