Christmas is a time for celebration, generosity and goodwill. But for many of us it’s also a time of excess – and that includes excess waste.
With all that extra packaging, wrapping paper and food and drink over the festive period, the amount of household waste we produce goes up by about a third.
Most of this can be recycled, so with help from our friends at Recycle Now, the national recycling campaign for England and Northern Ireland, we’ve put together some tips on how to recycle right over Christmas and New Year.
Wrapper’s delight
Most Christmas wrapping paper can be recycled, but if you’re not sure what is recyclable, remember the “scrunch test”. If it scrunches, it can be recycled in your blue bin.
More on recycling wrapping paper
All that glitters
As more and more people recycle their cards and wrapping paper at Christmas, try to avoid sending cards and gifts with glitter. If it’s glittery, it can’t be recycled.
More on recycling glittery items
Bin the bottle
Whatever your tipple this Christmas party season, remember to recycle all your bottles and cans in your blue bin. Just make sure they’re loose and clean.
More on what goes on your blue bin
Love ’em or hate ’em…
If you’re eating Brussels sprouts this Christmas, remember to put the peelings in the food caddy, along with any food waste that can’t be saved for Boxing Day leftovers.
More on recycling food waste
Oh… Christmas trees!
Whether you take your tree down on Twelfth Night or Boxing Day, if you have a real tree, and you can break it up, you can place it in the brown bin. If you can’t break it up, you can take it to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
If you have an artificial tree, keep it safe and use it year after year. Unwanted artificial trees in good condition may be accepted by charity shops for resale and reuse.
Christmas collections
Over Christmas and New Year, Hull’s usual bin collection schedules will change. To find out more, visit Christmas bin collection dates.
Any excess waste can be taken to one of the city’s three household waste and recycling centres, where many unwanted items can also be donated for sale in Reuse shops.
Hull’s household waste and recycling centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and will be open from 10am to 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
At all other times, the centres are open from 10am to 5pm, seven days a week.
’Tis the season to recycle! So have a green Christmas and a waste-free New Year!
For more festive recycling tips, visit Hull City Council’s A-Z of Christmas recycling
