A UK bin man has shared essential advice about recycling after Christmas, as households across the country dispose of an abundance of waste from the festive period
The festive season inevitably leads to a spike in household waste, from the mountains of cardboard packaging to the piles of Christmas cards and gift bags. Amid the post-Christmas clear-out, bin men across the country ramp up their efforts to handle the increased demand for rubbish disposal.
However, one dedicated refuse collector has offered crucial advice on correctly sorting waste as normal service resumes after Christmas Day. Due to the holiday season, changes to waste and recycling collection schedules are common, with pick-up days changing to accommodate the days off.
For residents who usually have their bins collected on December 25, this might mean a rescheduled collection today, December 27, or for those with a December 26 slot, collections could shift to December 28. These changes can vary based on local council policies, so it’s vital to check.
Yet, when the time comes for collectors to take away the bins, householders play a critical role in environmental conservation by ensuring that they separate their waste accurately to prevent additional work for those processing it afterward. To lend a hand, Danny, a bin man from St Helens Council, took to their TikTok page to run a ‘what goes where, Christmas edition’, revealing insights that surprised many viewers.
Alongside the clip, Danny included a supportive caption alongside footage displaying the use of a recycling bag and a brown wheelie bin: “What goes where? Recycling and waste collections start up again tomorrow [December 27] after a short Christmas break… so make sure you’re putting things in the right bins/bags.
“Wrapping paper, gift bags and Christmas cards belong in the brown bin [non-recyclable]. Cardboard goes into the green bag [recyclable cardboard] after being flattened.”
As many people noted in the comments section, it’s crucial to remember that different councils have different colours for various bins – so for some, brown will be for garden waste. And in some areas, wrapping paper, gift bags and cards can be recycled.
Recycle Now states that paper-based greeting cards and envelopes can be recycled at home or at certain recycling points outside of the home. However, parts of greeting cards that can’t be recycled are:
Similarly, wrapping paper is recyclable if it passes the ‘scrunch test’. Recycle Now advises: “if it scrunches, it can be recycled”. But any sticky tape or decorations like ribbons or bows must be removed.
Foil or glitter-decorated paper cannot be recycled. Non-metallic gift bags are also recyclable, but if they have glitter or glue, those parts should not be recycled.
Forge Recycling reports that most local councils offer collection of Christmas cards, gift bags and wrapping through mixed recycling bins, but you should verify your local council’s guidelines using the Recycle Now Checker.
