Christmas waste and recycling

Black, blue, and green bins may not be collected on the usual day due to the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.

Revised bin collection days

You can find the revised collection days below.

We might not collect your bin at the usual time - please make sure your bins are put out by 7am on collection day.  

What can be recycled and where?

Christmas can bring lots of extra waste, and most of this can be recycled - see below to find out what items go where.

Cardboard packaging

You can recycle all that extra Christmas cardboard on blue bin day.

Please flatten all cardboard and put it in your blue bin if you can (make sure the lid will shut). Please remove any other packaging (such as plastic film, polystyrene and plastic bags) and place this in your general waste.

If you have any very large boxes, or have too much for your bin, please bundle them up so they won't blow away - you could squeeze several flattened boxes inside one larger one to keep it all together.

Put the extra cardboard outside with your bin on blue bin collection day, please try to secure it if it's windy weather.

Cardboard can also be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Glass bottles and jars

If you've already filled your blue bin caddy with glass for recycling, you can put out your extra bottles and jars on blue bin day.

Any extra bottles and jars can be put out in a strong container, such as a plastic box or bucket, and left alongside your blue bin.

Please make sure that:

• the container is sturdy and won't blow away or fall apart if it rains (cardboard boxes are likely to get soggy, bags may tear or split)
• the container isn't over-filled or too heavy to lift safely
• the contents of the container are visible - so the refuse collector knows it's glass for recycling
• the bottles and jars have been rinsed out and lids removed

Christmas cards

Have you thought about using this year's Christmas cards to make next year's gift tags? Cards can also make good bookmarks, be used for writing down shopping lists, and much more - get other ideas here.

If you can't find another use for your Christmas cards, you can recycle them in your blue bin.

Please remove any bows, ribbons, foam pads or other embellishments before putting your Christmas cards into your blue bin, as they can't be recycled.

Wrapping paper

You can dispose of paper Christmas wrapping in your blue recycling bin.

Please make sure you remove all tape, bows and decorations before putting the paper in your blue bin.

Any foil or cellophane wrapping must be disposed of in your black general waste bin.

Small electrical items

If you've received a new electrical appliance this Christmas, you may be thinking of disposing of an old or broken one.

Some charities may be able to use your working unwanted electrical items, or you may be able to sell them or give them away for free.

You can put a variety of broken small electrical items on top of your blue bin on collection day, and they will be taken away for recycling. Never put electrical items in your black general waste bin, you can recycle other electrical waste at the Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Batteries

Used household batteries such as from toys, electrical gadgets and remote controls can be recycled by:

• returning them to shops that sell batteries (most shops which sell batteries have to provide a recycling point)
• putting them in a clear plastic bag and tying it to your blue bin for collection
• taking them to the Household Waste Recycling Centre

Do not put any type of battery in your bin - they can cause fires in our collection vehicles.

Christmas trees

If you bought a tree with roots you may be able to re-pot it into a larger container or plant it in your garden.

If your real tree doesn't have roots, you'll need to dispose of it.

Treecycle

For a small donation Ashgate Hospice will collect your real Christmas tree and recycle it. You can find more details on the Ashgate Hospice website.

Other ways to recycle your tree

Real Christmas trees can be cut up into small pieces and disposed of in your green bin, but make sure that the lid will close flat. Alternatively, you can dispose of your tree at one of the Household Waste and Recycling Centres.

Christmas trees should not be disposed of in your black general waste bin.

Household Waste Recycling Centre

The Chesterfield Household Waste Recycling Centre is open from 9.30am to 5pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day - please register online before visiting.

Find out more or register to use the Household Waste Recycling Centres.