Christmas tree collection arrangements
Plymouth City Council is putting on a special collection to pick up all the trees after the festive period is over.
For the first time ever, the Council will be picking up real trees after Christmas as part of a pilot scheme. The round will take place from the week beginning Monday 5 January and will run until Thursday 8 January.
All people have to do is to put the trees out next to their bins or bags and a crew will pick it up on the day their rubbish and recycling is collected that week.
Councillor Brian Vincent, Cabinet Member for the Environment said: “We are piloting this Christmas tree collection to see if this is something residents want – and to help cut the amount of rubbish on our streets after Christmas.
“While the majority of residents bring their trees to Chelson Meadow for pulping, we have all seen dead trees just dumped in back lanes and around properties for weeks on end.”
Residents are also being reminded about rubbish and recycling arrangements over the festive period. It is business as usual for the crews in the week leading up to Christmas, with normal rounds on Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 December.
However the Bank Holiday means that those homes due to have collections on Thursday – Christmas Day – will have their bins and bag emptied on Saturday 27 December.
During the week between Christmas and the New Year, crews will be out and about on Monday 29, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 December, but will take the day off on January 1. Those who were due to have their rubbish and recycling on a Thursday will have their bins and bags picked up on Friday.
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.
It is a busy time for the service as it gets ready for new bin and recycling rounds, which are due to start on 19 January.
Every home in the city is receiving a Christmas card from the Council with details about their collection day as well as guidelines of what to put out and when.
The changes are in response to the opening of a new waste disposal plant in the New Year. The existing routes need to change to transport rubbish that can’t be recycled to a new location.
The new bin days project is part of the Council’s transformation programme, a far reaching look at everything the organisation does to see if can be made more efficient. It is estimated the changes will lead to £1.3 million in savings over three years.
For more information visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/newyearnewbins
