Residents are being advised to look out for revised recycling and rubbish collection dates across Bath and North East Somerset over Christmas and New Year. There will be no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.

All wheeled bin customers will receive 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.

The revised collection dates will also be advertised in The Journal and people can also check details for specific addresses on the council’s website: www.bathnes.gov.uk/checkcollection

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 how we recycle. 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 recycling containers.

However, glitter or foil backed wrapping paper and glittery Christmas cards cannot be recycled, so please 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. And you can even recycle small electrical items such as broken fairy lights, and 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, and New Year’s Day – Tuesday, 1st January.

There will be no garden waste collections from Monday, 3rd December 2018 to Friday, 25th January 2019 inclusive. Normal garden waste collections will start again on Monday, 28th

January.

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 you do not have a green bin), and the Council will collect them free of charge. Please cut them up small enough to fit in the lorry and make sure they are free of decorations.