People across the Bath and North East Somerset area are being reminded about temporary changes to waste and recycling collection dates over the Christmas and New Year period.
Image © B&NES Council
Residents are being sent leaflets in the post advising them of their revised collection dates and key recycling service information.
Changes will affect collections that would normally be scheduled from Monday 25th December to Friday 12th January.
A calendar with the revised dates is also available to download from the council website here.
Garden waste collections will pause over the winter period and restart from 15th January. Garden waste can instead be taken to local recycling centres during opening hours.
Real Christmas trees are once again being collected by Dorothy House for a donation to their charity. Visit the website here to book a collection.
Alternatively, trees can be taken to the council’s recycling centres or put out for collection on garden waste collection days from 15th January to 9th February.
Collections must be booked in advance on the council website and trees that have not been booked for collection and left out at the front edge of the property will not be collected.
When recycling Christmas trees, either at recycling centres or by pre-booked collections, all decorations must be removed and the tree should be cut in half, to less than 1.2m tall.
On average the council collects 24% more rubbish and recycling over Christmas week than at any other time of year.
Residents are being urged to recycle as much as possible and to avoid creating waste in the first place by using sustainable alternatives.
The council’s Recycle For Bathnes Facebook page will feature a 12-day ‘Countdown to Christmas’ with ways to help people reduce their waste.
Councillor Tim Ball, cabinet member for Neighbourhood Services, said: “Our crews work hard all year round, but Christmas and New Year is especially busy as they cope with the increased amount of rubbish and recycling – particularly food waste – that they need to collect.
“Please remember we collect more than 13 different items for recycling from weekly green box collections.
“To help the crews collect quickly, keep their vehicle moving and to reduce traffic congestion in your road, please wash, squash and sort the materials before you put them in your green boxes.
“We have posted leaflets to every household with the changes to the recycling and rubbish collection and you can also easily find the information for your postcode on our website.”
The council’s recycling centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The reuse shop in Keynsham recycling centre will be closed during Christmas week.
