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How to successfully recycle Christmas rubbish in South Kesteven and Rutland




From ripping Christmas cards in half, to rinsing out the brandy butter container and chopping up your real Christmas tree what exactly needs to happen with all the waste created over Christmas?

With packaging, wrapping and more all needing to be thrown away recycling rules can get a bit confusing, especially when asking visitors to help who may follow different rules elsewhere in the country.

We asked South Kesteven District Council and Rutland County Council about some of the more common Christmas waste items likely to be got rid off as the festivities move along.

There's rules to follow when it comes to what can and can't be recycled.
There's rules to follow when it comes to what can and can't be recycled.

South Kesteven (scroll down for Rutland)

Once you've started to eat through the 'Christmas food' there will understandably be some packaging waste. The rules in South Kesteven vary depending on how dirty and greasy the items get.

Stating with mince pies, the silver foils can be recycled via SKDC. Just add them to the recycling bin, bag or box.

While it might look the same, disposable silver foil trays used to cook the turkey in will be greasy so that needs to go in the general waste.

But the foil wrappers around sweets or chocolates can go in the recycle bin. Plastic ones would go in general waste.

Once the whole 'box' of chocolates is empty, plastic tubs like those which contain Quality Streets can be recycled as can metal tins. Empty bags need to go in general waste.

Even paper from around cakes such as a panettone, if greasy, should go in the general waste.

If your turkey was cooked in a disposable pan then it needs to be put in general waste.
If your turkey was cooked in a disposable pan then it needs to be put in general waste.

For those in the kitchen on the big day, it can be helpful to have two bins set up while the main meal is being cooked to help keep recycling and general rubbish separate.

When cracking open eggs, the empty carton is recyclable.

But for yoghurt-type containers, such as those containing cream and brandy cream as well as plastic dip trays, they need to be rinsed before they can be recycled.

When it comes to Christmas cards the style of the design is crucial to what happens next. Make sure to have scribbled down any info from a card such as a new address and take any money or vouchers from gift cards. Then, if the cards are plain then the whole thing could be added to the recycling bin, bag or box. But for Christmas cards which are extra special - those that come with glitter, foil, a decorative bow say or stickers, you'll need to take action.

Rip the card in half putting the plain back section in the recycling and the decorative front in the general waste.

There's a similar rule for wrapping paper. Any that is plain can be recycled, but glittery or foil embossed paper needs to go in the general waste. You need to remove any larger bits of sticking tape but it's "generally recyclable" with small bits of tape.

What you might need to remove is the tag if it has a fancy glittery design to go in the general waste along with the string. If the tag is made from plain paper or card it can be recycled.

If there's no foil, glitter or extra items cards can be recycled - otherwise rip them in half, and recycle the plain half of the card.
If there's no foil, glitter or extra items cards can be recycled - otherwise rip them in half, and recycle the plain half of the card.

If you have young children who like to add stickers to anything and everything, including wrapping paper, then that gift wrap is still recyclable.

Present bags should be reused where possible - perhaps to regift something next year - while paper ones can be recycled. Any that are glittery or foil should be added to general waste if beyond reuse. String or ribbon handles should be removed.

When clearing away the dinner table there can be lots of rubbish, from crackers and party hats to bits of food and disposable napkins.

Cardboard Christmas crackers - once the bang has been pulled - are recyclable, as long as there's no glitter or foil. If there is then they would need to go in the general waste.

And party popper casings – if all contents removed - are also recyclable.

But those paper tablecloths/napkins should be added to general waste due to food contamination

As Christmas Day come to an end the cracker paper party hats can be recycled as can the slip of paper with a cracker joke.

If there's any broken glass that needs to go in the general waste.

Real trees can be put out for garden waste collection, even by households not in the garden waste scheme.
Real trees can be put out for garden waste collection, even by households not in the garden waste scheme.

There's often a case of out with the old and in with the new. If you've been gifted new slippers then the old ones need to be put in textile recycling bags, taken to a recycling centre or otherwise added to general waste.

And as it draws closer to the end of the holidays and the tree is down there's rules for that too.

A spokesman for SKDC said: "You can place your real Christmas trees out on the first normal day of collection for the green garden waste bins in your area. You do not need to be part of our garden waste scheme to use this service. Alternatively, you can take real Christmas trees to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre."

Fake Christmas trees should be reused or donated to a charity shop. If it's broken and beyond repair then it should be added to general waste.

Rachel Stamp, waste partnership and projects manager at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "It may be the season of giving, but don’t give glitter, grease or soft plastics - like carrier bags and plastic films - to your recycling bin this Christmas.

“If you’re in doubt about whether or not you can recycle something in your bins at home, leave it out, and then check it out on your district council’s website, or message us on social media."

Items that go into general waste in Lincolnshire are sent to the county council's energy from waste plant in North Hykeham and turned into electricity.

Rutland

Once you've eaten the chocolate, or revealed the picture behind door 24, advent calendars can be recycled - with a little bit of effort. Remove the plastic bit from inside and put the two pieces in the recycling bin separately.

And then, like neighbours in South Kesteven, when it comes to Christmas cards recycling has a lot to do with the design on the front.

Plain cards can be recycled in the grey bin while Christmas cards with glitter/foil/stickers should have any large bits of foil or glitter removed before being added to the grey recycling bin too.

At Christmas with more people visiting and different types of rubbish the question of what is recyclable is a tough one
At Christmas with more people visiting and different types of rubbish the question of what is recyclable is a tough one

When it comes to wrapping paper, anything non metallic can go in the grey recycling bin after large bits of tape are removed. Wrapping paper with stickers on is also fine to go in the grey recycling bin.

There's a message of "re-use where possible" when it comes to ribbon and bows That guidance extends to wrapping paper that is foil or glittery in design. The council suggests keeping it and reusing it where possible otherwise it needs to go in the black bin.

As for tags and string, here waste sorters will need to divide and conquer.

Paper and cardboard tags can be recycled in the grey bin but not the string. String should either be re-used or put in the black bin.

Present bags, says Rutland County Council, if made of paper and cardboard bags can be recycled in the grey bin adding "or even better, keep and re-use next year".

For "brown paper packages all tied up with string," the paper can be recycled - even with a small amount of tape - but the string needs to go in the general bin.
For "brown paper packages all tied up with string," the paper can be recycled - even with a small amount of tape - but the string needs to go in the general bin.

When it comes to the cardboard packaging which also has a plastic window, as commonly seen on children's toys, this is fine to recycle via the grey bin.

Now on to the food.

The silver foil cases or skirts from around a mince pie can be recycled via the grey bin.

They are the same material as the disposable silver foil trays some people used to cook the turkey so they can be recycled too in Rutland, providing any food has been removed, it’s been washed and is dry. This is different to South Kesteven.

Chocolate or sweet wrappers be it paper or plastic go in the grey bin for recycling.

Once somehow has scoffed the last chocolate from a big tub - such as those used for Quality Streets - dispatch them to the grey bin as the tub can be recycled.

In kitchens across Rutland, as the last egg is used, the carton can go in the grey bin as can yoghurt-like tubs that have held cream or brandy cream "providing they are clean and dry", says the council. That's the same rule for dip trays.

Other recyclable items include the plastic surrounding mince pies/cakes which keep them organised in the box and the paper from around a panettone – all destined for the grey bin.

If there's been a mishap and there's some broken glass then it’s a broken bottle or jar, add it to the grey bin, explains the council. "Other types of glass, such as Pyrex, can not be recycled in the grey bin so should be wrapped and put in the black bin or taken to the HWRC (tip) for recycling," a spokesman explained.

There's a lot of table rubbish generated come Christmas dinner. Crackers once the bang has been pulled can be recycled in the grey bin, along with the jokes and paper hats. But party popper casings need to go to the black bin as do paper tablecloths and napkins. That's because paper tablecloths usually have a plastic coating and napkins are usually used to wipe up food and drink

If Santa brought you new slippers, the old and unwearable slippers should go in the black bin.

As we get into January and the decorations are taken down, real Christmas trees can be recycled in the green bin. However, they need to be chopped up so that they fit in. Alternatively they can be recycled at the HWRC’s (tips).

Hopefully your fake Christmas trees can be reused, but if its days are over, they should be put in the black bin or taken to the tip.



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