26 November 2019

Aberdeenshire Council wishes you a very mer-recycling Christmas

Aberdeenshire Council is wishing North-east residents a very mer-recycling Christmas as the festive season fast approaches.

This year the local authority is encouraging householders to ensure landfill is not on their Christmas wish list as arrangements for festive recycling and waste collections are unveiled.

Households create more waste at this time of year as a result of buying excess food and presents, wrapping paper, cards and possibly even their Christmas tree.

But residents can help save tax-payers’ money by making better use of available recycling services and avoiding sending items to landfill unnecessarily, as sending waste to landfill costs much more than recycling.

Waste team manager Andrew Sheridan explains: “In terms of food waste, first and foremost we are encouraging residents to reuse their leftover turkey and vegetables in warming casseroles, tasty pies or even bespoke pizzas.

“Failing that then you can recycle foodstuffs in your food caddies which are collected from homes every week.”

And when it comes to the array of Christmas-related materials we accumulate, there are many types of cardboard, non-glittery Christmas cards and other items which can all be popped into your blue-lidded kerbside bins which are picked up fortnightly.

Andrew explains: “Wrapping paper can only be recycled if it passes the scrunch test - simple paper wrap can be recycled, but foil or glitter-decorated paper cannot and needs to go in the general waste.

 “It’s astonishing just how much of this material can actually be turned into new products, instead of rotting away for years in landfill.

“To help ensure householders make the most of their Christmas materials, a host of fun festive recycling tips will be published on the council’s social media channels, including ideas for presents that won’t cost the earth.”

When it comes to real Christmas trees and larger items of cardboard packaging, these can be taken to Aberdeenshire’s recycling centres.

But you should note that the council’s network of recycling centres will be closed from 3pm on Tuesday, December 24 until 9am on Friday, December 27 and from 3pm Tuesday, December 31 until 9am on Friday, January 3. For more information, see: http://bit.ly/AbshireHWRCs

Meanwhile, household refuse collections due on Wednesday, December 25 will now be collected on Friday, December 27 followed by:
• Thursday, December 26 now Saturday, December 28
• Friday, December 27 now Monday, December 30
• Wednesday, January 1 now Friday, January 3
• Thursday, January 2 now Saturday, January 4
• Friday, January 3 now Monday, January 6

If crews are unable to collect bins on any of these days owing to adverse weather, they will empty your bin with any excess waste you have gathered, during the next scheduled collection for that bin.

To see the list of materials you can recycle at home using our recycling services, visit http://bit.ly/abshirerecycling

To request an additional food caddy or blue-lidded wheeled bin email waste@aberdeenshire.gov.uk or go to http://bit.ly/Additionalbins

Moving into 2020, make it your New Year’s resolution to keep up-to-date on all aspects of waste collections and recycling, by following us at www.facebook.com/AberdeenshireWaste