Christmas and New Year recycling guide for East Riding residents

The Christmas and New Year period is the busiest time of year for waste collection in the East Riding.

Much more waste is generated at this time of year – including cardboard boxes, wrapping, bottles and leftover food – but the great news is most of it can be recycled in household bins.

Residents in the East Riding are some of the best recyclers in the country and are being encouraged to keep up their good work.

The waste and recycling team at East Riding of Yorkshire Council is issuing some festive advice to help residents recycle even more during the holiday period.

Christmas trees, cards, wrapping paper, gift boxes … even the bones from a turkey … can all be recycled at home by putting them in the correct bin.

Leave it loose in the blue bin!

This year, the team is urging people to put their recycling loose in their blue bins – and never into bags.

Leaving items loose in the blue bin can make sorting the waste much quicker and more efficient for the recycling plant.

Residents can also fit more inside their blue bins if they don’t use plastic bags – and there’s no need to buy them especially.

Black bags are classed as contamination because they can’t always be split open or the waste inside separated, and they can also damage some sorting machines.

They can lead to more loads being rejected by the recycling plant.

Councillor Chris Matthews, the council’s portfolio holder for environment and climate change, said: “The quality of recyclable materials placed in blue bins is more important than ever.

“The cost of waste disposal is increasing year on year, but we can offset that by ensuring our recycling is high quality and only the right things are being included in the blue bin.

“Now we really need residents to help us by keeping their recycling clean, dry and loose, in order to reduce contamination.”

Festive guide to bin collections and recycling in the East Riding

Bin collection dates – These will change over the Christmas and New Year period. Normal collections will restart from Monday 10 January.

It usually means bins will be collected a day or two after normal collection days over the two-week period – but it’s always best to check.

Please check the bin collection calendars sent out in the post over the summer.

Residents can also view their bin collection days on the council’s website at bins.eastriding.gov.uk

Or download the East Riding of Yorkshire Council app to get automatic reminders on your phone.

Household waste recycling sites (tips) – These are open from 10am to 5pm each day, but they will close at 4pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

They will also be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Please remember to take along your residents’ pass or alternative proof of address when visiting a site.

Real Christmas trees – These can be recycled by placing them next to your brown bin on collection days in January, or they can be taken to household waste recycling sites. Please remove all lights and decorations.

Broken Christmas lights- These and other unwanted electrical items can be taken to the small electricals section at household waste recycling sites.

Unwanted Christmas gifts – These can be donated to charity shops or taken to household waste recycling sites to donate them to the Reuse Shop for Dove House Hospice.

Batteries – Please don’t put them in your bins! Instead please take them to supermarkets and local shops which have battery recycling collection boxes or to any household waste recycling site.

Crisp packets and polystyrene cannot be recycled, so please place these in your green bin.

Clothing, shoes and textiles cannot go in your bins, so please take these to local clothing recycling banks or to charity shops.

Blue bins - Can be used to recycle Christmas cards, envelopes, wrapping paper, cardboard and cardboard boxes, plastic tubs and trays, all glass and plastic bottles and jars, cans, tins, aerosols, tin foil, foil trays, books, newspapers, magazines, juice cartons, egg boxes.

Please make sure they are all empty, clean and put them loose in the blue bin.

Brown bins - Can be used to recycle all cooked and uncooked food waste, including plate scrapings, peelings, meat, turkey and other bird carcasses, meat bones, egg shells, tea bags and small amounts of sauces, creams and soups. Any garden waste can also go in the brown bin.

Free kitchen caddy liners to put your food inside are available at household waste recycling sites, customer service centres, libraries, mobile libraries and leisure centres.

For more information on what items go in which bin visit council’s website at bins.eastriding.gov.uk or download the East Riding of Yorkshire Council app to your phone.

Photo - The council’s waste and recycling officers have some Christmas advice for residents. From left, Chris Black, Emma Jasper and Karen Wagg.