Local residents are being advised to look out for revised recycling and rubbish collection dates across Bath and North East Somerset over the Christmas and New Year period.
B&NES Council has said there will be no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.
All wheeled bin customers will get notice of revised collection dates via bin hangers distributed during the first two weeks of December.
Re-useable rubbish bag and black sack customers will be notified by letter. People can also check details for specific addresses on the council’s website here.
More rubbish is thrown away over Christmas than at any other time of year, and people are being urged to think responsibly and recycle as much waste as they can.
Councillor Bob Goodman, cabinet member for Development and Neighbourhoods said: “We all love Christmas but it is a time of year when a staggering amount of food is thrown away and excess packaging is created.
“We can all do our bit to reduce excess waste by thinking about how much we buy and recycling. If we all do our bit, we can reduce the amount that goes to landfill.”
The Love Food Hate Waste website (www.lovefoodhatewaste.com) has plenty of seasonal tips to help reduce food waste and save money this Christmas.
Lots of other festive waste can also be recycled. Wrapping paper (white backed, non- foil), greetings cards, gift tags and cardboard packaging can all be placed in our recycling containers.
However, glitter or foil backed wrapping paper and glittery Christmas cards can’t be recycled, so choose wisely when you shop. Brown paper wrapping is the best environmentally friendly option.
Don’t forget, other festive items like sweet and biscuit tins, aerosols, glass jars, plastic bottles and food containers like cream pots, foil from mince pies, quiches and takeaways can also be recycled.
You can even recycle small electrical items such as broken fairy lights, textiles like old Christmas jumpers and shoes.
The council’s recycling centres will be operating as normal for the majority of the festive period, but will be closed on:
- Christmas Day – Tuesday 25th December
- Boxing Day – Wednesday 26th December
- New Year’s Day – Tuesday 1st January
There will be no garden waste collections from Monday 3rd December 2018 to Friday 25th January inclusive. Normal garden waste collections will start again on Monday 28th January.
Trees lining a street in Bath awaiting collection earlier this year
People who have bought real Christmas trees can take them to the council’s recycling centres or put them out between 28th January and 8th February on garden waste collection days (even if they don’t have a green bin) and B&NES Council will collect them free of charge. Locals are being urged to cut them up small enough to fit in the lorry and make sure they are free of decorations.
Speaking about the announcement on changes over the Christmas period by B&NES Council, Lib Dem Neighbourhoods spokesperson, Councillor Richard Samuel, commented: “This latest update proves that the Conservative Cabinet is still not listening over Christmas tree collections.
“Last year, even though trees were being collected after the festive period, we still saw local streets littered with dead trees for most of January. Some areas even saw heaps of dumped trees building up on corners.
“The mess is bound to be worse in 2019 if trees won’t be collected till the end of January. Is the Cabinet member really happy with this?”
