Handy list of Christmas recycling tips from East Devon District Council

Not sure what you should and shouldn’t be recycling this Christmas? Well East Devon District Council (EDDC) has put this handy list together to help you over the festive season.

Every household in the district should have received a bin hanger, with all the information you need over Christmas and New Year.

The information can also be found by visiting www.eastdevon.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste.

You can also ask your Alexa when your bins will be collected. Visit www.eastdevon.gov.uk/alexa to add this Alexa skill.

Here’s our handy list on recycling tips over the festive season:

What Christmas recycling can go in your green box?

Plain wrapping paper and Christmas cards (Nothing with any glitter on it).
Textiles in a plastic bag, to keep them dry. EDDC works with The Salvation Army which reuses the items - they need to be in a good enough condition that you would buy them from a charity shop for us to be able to reuse them.
Batteries, placed in a small clear bag, and small electrical items that fit inside your green box with the lid on – like hairdryers or kettles.
What should be put in your grey wheelie bins?
Wrapping Paper or Christmas cards with glitter, foil or plastic – they will be used to generate electricity. Putting these out for recycling could contaminate a whole lorry load of paper or cardboard!
Plastic film – Unfortunately EDDC is unable to recycle plastic film products such as film wrappers, plastic bags, crisp packets, cling film, polythene and pill casing.
Polystyrene – There is always lots of polystyrene around at Christmas in packaging. Pop it in your grey bin and help EDDC power more homes.

Don’t forget about the food:

All your food, cooked or uncooked, dog and cat food and tea bags and coffee grounds, can be placed in a single-use plastic bag (whether it is a bread bag, cereal box liner or carrier bag) and then put in your food caddy.

Changed collection dates over Christmas:

See Christmas collection dates here: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/recycling-and-waste-information/christmas-holiday-collection-dates-and-tree-recycling/

What about Christmas trees?

You can recycle your real Christmas tree in your green waste bin (no branches thicker than 100mm) or you can take them here:

Monday, 3 January

Axminster: West Street car park – 12:30pm to 2.30pm
Seaton: Jurassic car park – 8.30am to 11.30am
Exmouth: Imperial Road car park – 8.30am to 2pm

Tuesday, 4 January

Broadclyst: Sports Pavilion car park –12:30pm to 2.30pm
Budleigh Salterton: Lime Kiln car park – 8.30am to 11.30am
Honiton: Lace Walk car park – 8.30am to 11.30am
Ottery St Mary: Land of Canaan car park – 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Wednesday, 5 January

Cranbrook: The Cranberry Farm – 8.30am to 11.30am
Sidmouth: Manor Road car park – 8.30am to 12pm

Your trees will be composted and used as a natural fertiliser by local farms or in our parks.

Cardboard galore - help our crews:

We are expecting lots of internet shopping as we all prepare for Christmas.

This produces a huge amount of cardboard packaging which we want to recover and recycle, however, if you have large quantities of cardboard, it will help our crews if you can spread the load by putting it out for collection over a number of weeks.

There are times when we may have to leave behind some cardboard for another collection if our vehicles are filling quickly.

If you do have large quantities of material which you would rather not keep until the next collection, then there will be the option for you to visit your local recycling centre.

Also, please remember to take out any polystyrene, bubble wrap or polythene bags from your cardboard packaging before putting it out for collection.

Find out more: A-Z of recycling and disposals - East Devon

Unwanted Christmas presents:

Get any unwanted Christmas presents this year? Instead of binning them, why not donate these to a charity shop, sell/give away on sites such as Facebook Marketplace, Freegle, Freecycle or even re-gift them to others!

Pick up a bargain from Devon recycling centres

Don’t forget you can now pick up a bargain at Devon recycling centres re-use shops which are now selling electrical goods, including vacuum cleaners, lamps and TVs.

The goods are being sold within the re-sale shops at Pinbrook Recycling Centre in Exeter and Knowle Hill Recycling Centre in Exmouth, thanks to a scheme being run by SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd and Devon County Council.

Visit https://www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/recycling-centres/reuse-shops/ for more information.

Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC’s portfolio holder for Coast, Country and Environment, said:

“On behalf of EDDC and our recycling and waste crews I would like to wish all our residents a Happy Christmas.

I would also like to thank you all for co-operating and helping our crews in the most difficult period ever, with record tonnages of recycling, and extra health and safety precautions.

In East Devon we recycle more than most other districts in the UK, and that is down to you, so thank you, and please continue recycling.”