'Tis the season to recycle

Christmas can generate plenty of extra household waste and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is urging residents to recycle more and waste less during the festive season.

There is no limit to how much you can recycle and any extra recycling can be put in cardboard boxes or clear sacks next to your green bin for collection. If you are recycling large cardboard boxes, make sure they are flattened next to your recycling bin and please remove the polystyrene and plastic packaging before leaving cardboard out.

There are lots of items that can be recycled during the festive season and all year round including cardboard packaging, paper, newspapers and magazines, food tins, drinks cans, aerosols and plastic bottles.

Christmas wrapping paper cannot be recycled and needs to go into your grey waste bin. Christmas cards can be recycled but only if they do not contain glitter, ribbons or bows.

If you are unsure about what can and can’t be recycled visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/recycle or call the council on 01256 844844.

For a second year, garden waste customers will be able to put their real Christmas trees out for collection with their fortnightly garden waste. Christmas trees over 6ft need to be cut in half and decorations must be removed.
Real Christmas trees can also be recycled at one of several drop-off points across the borough between Saturday 2 January and Sunday 31 January 2021.
For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/christmas-tree .

Christmas can also mean more glass recycling. Your glass box or glass bin should be placed next to your green recycling bin by 7am on your recycling collection day. All bottles and jars should be rinsed out and any corks or tops removed.
Make sure you don't overfill your glass box or bin as it will not be emptied.
Please do not put bottles or jars out for collection in any other container, they will not be collected.
You can order a 140 litre red glass bin for £28.15 as an alternative to a box if you have lots of bottles and jars to recycle. Order at 01256 844844 or visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/glassrecycling for more information.

This year bin collections will be affected over two weeks and, unless adverse weather or lockdown restrictions affect bin rounds, collections should return to normal from Monday 11 January 2021.

Normal collection date
Wed 23 Dec
Thur 24 Dec
Fri 25 Dec
Mon 28 Dec
Tue 29 Dec
Wed 30 Dec
Thur 31 Dec
Fri 1 Jan
Mon 4 Jan
Tue 5 Jan
Wed 6 Jan
Thur 7 Jan
Fri 8 Jan

Festive collection date
Wed 23 Dec
Thur 24 Dec
Mon 28 Dec
Tue 29 Dec
Wed 30 Dec
Thur 31 Dec
Sat 2 Jan
Tue 5 Jan
Wed 6 Jan
Thur 7 Jan
Fri 8 Jan
Sat 9 Jan

Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “Extra rubbish will be inevitable over the festive period but a lot of that can be recycled including glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, aerosols, tins and cans. We can all make changes to contribute to a more sustainable start to 2021 and recycling more is among them.”
Check your bin collection day at www.basingstoke.gov.uk/bincollections or call 01256 844844.