11/01/2026
A quick guide to dealing with Christmas waste
🎄 Christmas is over… but what about the waste? ♻️
If you’re clearing out old decorations, cards and packaging, here’s a quick guide from on recycling your Christmas items correctly.
🚮 Extra recycling
Any additional recycling can be placed next to your recycling bin in a cardboard or plastic box before 6.30am on your collection day, or taken to your nearest recycling centre.
Common Christmas items:
🎁 Wrapping paper
• Plain paper (no foil/glitter): blue-lidded bin
• Foil, glitter or plastic coating: purple-lidded bin
💌 Christmas cards
• No glitter or decorations: blue-lidded bin
• With glitter, foil or trimmings: purple-lidded bin
🎄 Christmas trees
• Real trees: garden waste subscribers can place them next to the brown bin, or take to a recycling centre
• Artificial trees: donate if reusable, or take to a recycling centre
✨ Decorations & lights
• Baubles & tinsel: donate if reusable, otherwise purple-lidded bin
• Christmas lights & electrical items: donate, or take to a recycling centre / electrical waste drop-off
🥫 Food & packaging
• Foil & foil trays (clean): black-lidded mixed recycling
• Plastic sweet tubs & biscuit tins: black-lidded mixed recycling
• Food waste: food caddy
🔋 Batteries
Do not put batteries in any bin — take them to a recycling centre or a supermarket battery collection point.
You can also download the North Herts Council app and check the Recycling information section for help anytime.
🔗 https://www.mumsguideto.co.uk/hitchin/articles.php?articleid=408&title=Christmas-is-over-but-what-about-the-waste