News releases

Don’t have a rubbish Christmas – recycle

‘Tis the season for family and presents – and plenty of extra household waste.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is urging residents to recycle more and try to waste less during this festive season.

There is no limit to how much you can recycle. Any extra recycling can be put in cardboard boxes or clear sacks which are available from larger supermarkets and homeware stores. Leave the cardboard box or clear sacks filled with recycling and large, flattened cardboard boxes next to your recycling bin. Please remove the polystyrene and plastic packaging before leaving cardboard out.

There are lots of items that can be recycled including cardboard packaging, paper, newspapers and magazines, food tins, drinks cans, aerosols and plastic bottles.

Remember that Christmas wrapping paper cannot be recycled and needs to go into your black waste bin. Try wrapping presents with brown paper instead, it’s recyclable and can look beautiful when decorated. Christmas cards can be recycled but only if they do not contain glitter, ribbons or bows.

If you’re unsure about what can and can’t be recycled visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/recycle  or call the council on 01256 844844.

Christmas can mean extra rubbish which can’t be recycled, so extra sacks will be collected for the first collection after Christmas only.

If you’re thinking of getting a real tree, you can recycle it at one of a number of drop off points across the borough between Thursday 2 January and Sunday 26 January 2020.

For the first time those people signed up to the Garden Waste service will be able to put their real Christmas trees out for collection with their fortnightly garden waste. Christmas trees over 6ft need to be cut in half and decorations must be removed from all trees.

For more information visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/christmas-tree .

Cabinet Member for Environment and Enforcement Cllr Hayley Eachus said: “It’s inevitable that extra rubbish will be created over the festive period. I would ask residents to make sure they’re disposing of their waste and recycling correctly so we can enjoy a more sustainable start to 2020.”

This year bin collections will be affected over two weeks and, unless adverse weather affects bin rounds, collections should return to normal from Monday 13 January 2020.


Normal collection date                               Festive collection date

Monday 23 December                                Monday 23 December

Tuesday 24 December                               Tuesday 24 December

Wednesday 25 December                         Friday 27 December

Thursday 26 December                              Saturday 28 December

Friday 27 December                                   Monday 30 December

Monday 30 December                               Tuesday 31 December

Tuesday 31 December                               Thursday 2 January

Wednesday 1 January                                Friday 3 January

Thursday 2 January                                     Saturday 4 January

Friday 3 January                                          Monday 6 January

Monday 6 January                                      Tuesday 7 January

Tuesday 7 January                                      Wednesday 8 January

Wednesday 8 January                                Thursday 9 January

Thursday 9 January                                     Friday 10 January

Friday 10 January                                        Saturday 11 January


Check your bin collection day on the website www.basingstoke.gov.uk/bincollections  or call 01256 844844.

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