THE different bank holidays this year mean your usual bin collection days could be different over Christmas.
Before you start getting rid of all that rubbish from Christmas check when the binmen are picking up first in your area.
The big day falls on a Sunday this year, which means there is an extra bank holiday on the following Tuesday, December 27.
This is as well as the usual Boxing Day bank holiday on Monday, December 26.
That means that your usual bin collection day is likely to change.
Rubbish can really start piling up over the Christmas period, from presents and crackers to food and drink.
So, people will be eager to know when their next pick up is scheduled.
When will my bins be collected during the Christmas period?
Bin collection schedules differ from council to council, and depend on the days their teams are working this year.
Some councils won’t collect on weekends, public holidays or bank holidays so you may have to wait a couple of extra days.
Others, like Hammersmith and Fulham, will be doing collections on Tuesday, December 27 for those who usually have it on a Sunday, even though it’s a bank holiday.
Your usual collection date could change too if it falls on a normal day between Christmas and New Year.
The local authority where you live will usually let you know about changes to your normal bin day.
This may be as a notice through your door, but will also be on its website in most cases.
You can find your local council website using the tool on gov.uk and searching your postcode.
What can I throw away?
Your local council will also have specific guidelines on what you can put in each of your bins.
For items like wrapping paper, cards and packaging from foods you can usually pop them in your recycling bin – but check the labels first for instructions.
Some foil wrapping for instance can’t be recycled, or sheets with heavy glitter or other decorations.
The same goes with Christmas cards and crackers.
You generally want to follow the “scrunch test” for seeing if wrapping paper is suitable for recycling – if the paper stays scrunched in a ball it can be recycled.
But remove sticky tape and bows first.
For food waste, the usual rules apply, you’ll want to get rid of any uneaten leftovers in a food waste bin, or your own composter.
Packaging will have instructions on whether it should go in a recycling bin or not.
Some supermarkets like Tesco offer recycling for soft packaging that isn’t collected by council recycling, so you don’t have to throw it in the normal waste.
But again, double check the rules where you live as they can vary.
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