Christmas recycling tips and bin collections over the holidays

Shoppers can pick up some top tips about recycling over Christmas at roadshow that takes place on Thursday 19 December.

Council staff will be giving guidance on how and what to recycle at a roadshow outside Drake Circus Shopping Centre, on the Marks and Spencer side.

There will be information on how to cut waste, a quiz with a hamper as a prize and information from the Love Food Hate Waste campaign about what to do with all the left-over food at Christmas. The roadshow runs from 5pm to 8pm.

Councillor Brian Vincent, Cabinet Member for the Environment said: “Everyone has a part to play in helping to keep our rubbish out of landfill as well as reducing the amount of waste they create and  I would like to thank the people of Plymouth for all their efforts this year.

“Christmas is a time when many of us splash out and make more waste. We want to help  people to reuse and recycle more. If Santa is bringing new electrical goods, for instance, there are loads of local charities and organisations that take second hand goods to be reconditioned– this also means work for local people.”

Plymouth residents should check their bin collection days over the festive period to make sure they put their rubbish and recycling out on the right day. With two bank holidays on one week and another bank holiday the following week, collections will be:

Christmas

Monday 23 December will be picked up on Monday 23 December Tuesday 24 December will be picked up on Tuesday 24 December.

Wednesday 25 December will be picked up on Friday 27 December Thursday 26 December will be picked up on Saturday 28 December.

New Year's Day

Monday 30 December will be picked up on Monday 30 December Tuesday 31 December will be picked up on Tuesday 31 December.

Wednesday 1 January will be picked up on Thursday 2 January Thursday 2 January will be picked up on Friday 3 January.

The arrangements are subject to weather conditions. If collections are suspended for any reason they will continue the next working day (including Saturdays) until normal schedules are resumed.

Chelson Meadow and Weston Mill Household Waste Recycling Centres will close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Other days will operate normally. At Chelson the hours are:

Monday: 9.30am to 6pm
Tuesday to Friday and Sunday: 9.30am to 5pm
Saturday: 8.30am to 5.30pm

Weston Mill hours are from 9.30am until 5pm every day.

Other useful tips for people to reduce, reuse and recycle include:

• Take Christmas trees to Chelson Meadow or Weston Mill Household Waste Recycling Centres for composting. If you are unable to, compost them or put the tree into your brown bin. Please don’t leave them in back lanes
• Take glass bottles to any of our recycling banks sites. If a bank is full don’t leave bottles on the floor, call the Council on 668000 to say a bank needs empting.
• Clothing and shoes can be taken to charity shops or to clothing banks Banks are also available to collect cans, plastic bottles, paper, books and CDs. A list of bank locations is available at www.plymouth.gov.uk
• Your old Christmas cards can be recycled through a number of charities; the Woodland Trust scheme willhave collection bins at Marks and Spencer or WH Smith from January 2 to 31. They can also go into your green recycling bin or bag.

A  reminder of what you can recycle in your green recycling bin or bag:

• Paper – all types including wrapping paper, Christmas cards and envelopes
• Cardboard
• Plastic bottles, including lemonade and cola bottles (lids off please)
• Plastic containers, such as fruit and spread containers
• Cans, all types such as beer and lemonade
• Aerosols (empty) – such as deodorant, polish cans
• Aluminium foil – such as take away containers (provided they are not too covered and sticky with ‘turkey fat’ and other food waste)