Christmas bin collection rules explained – and how to avoid £100s in fines

BINS are always bursting at the seams over Christmas and with the bank holiday people will be asking when their next collection is.

Those who are looking to dispose of their wrapping paper and left over food early could face a hefty fine.

Christmas 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.

This means people will be eager to know when their next pick up is scheduled.

When will my bins be collected over Christmas?

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 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 in my Christmas bin collection?

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.

How to avoid hefty fines for getting it wrong

If you follow the rules you’ll be starting the new year with a smile, but if you get it wrong, you could have a rubbish one.

Disposing of your Christmas trash in the wrong way and you could be slapped with a fine for hundreds of pounds.

Several sites at supermarkets and in car parks offer recycling for reasonable amounts of cans, glass, paper and plastic.

If they are full don’t be tempted to leave your trash next to it as you could be issued a penalty for fly-tipping.

You can also be fined up to £400 for dumping the wrong waste too.

North Herts council has issued a similar warning that residents face a £400 fine for fly-tipping if they don’t dispose of their rubbish in the right way.

The amount each local council can fine you varies, but it’s usually in the hundreds of pounds.

Meanwhile you could also be fined for dumping your Christmas Tree on the street.

Many councils offer kerbside recycling, but you need to follow the rules.

For example in Islington there are specific points to drop your tree between January 2 and 17.

If you leave it somewhere else, you could face a fly-tipping fine.

Some areas accept real Christmas trees disposed in garden waste bins, at recycling centres, or you could try planting it for using again next year.

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