BCP Council has got Christmas waste all wrapped up!

With Christmas just around the corner, BCP Council is encouraging residents to plan ahead to reduce all the extra waste that’s created over the festive season as much as possible, taking note of their bin collection days and avoiding any unnecessary trips to the tip.

There will be no rubbish, food (for Bournemouth and Christchurch) or recycling bin collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day. Instead, catch up collections will run from Monday 28 December to Saturday 9 January.

Please click here to see the collection times.

Extra rubbish and recycling can be taken for disposal at one of the three Household Recycling Centres at Millhams, Longham; Wilverley Road, Christchurch; or Nuffield, Poole. All sites are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day with social distancing measures in place to keep everyone safe.

Lots of Christmas waste can be recycled including wrapping paper if it stays scrunched up, cardboard packaging, Christmas cards, sweet tins, glass and plastic bottles from the festive merriment and tin foil from mince pies and turkey covering. Don’t forget you can also reuse Christmas wrapping next year and refashion cards to make recycled present labels.

Councillor Mark Anderson, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment, Cleansing and Waste commented: “2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone. We were so grateful to our waste collectors for continuing to work throughout this pandemic and collecting our waste every week. Now we want everyone to have a great Christmas and not be left with piles of rubbish or recycling because they’ve forgotten to put their bins out!

“We are passionate about creating a sustainable BCP, with waste management playing a big part in this, so please be waste aware this Christmas and familiarise yourself with the important bin collection dates to ensure you don’t miss a collection over the festive period.”

After Christmas when the pine needles are falling from the tree, residents can take their tree to one of the council’s Household Recycling Centres or to Upton Country Park for composting. In addition, Diverse Abilities – the charity that supports children and adults with profound physical and learning disabilities across Dorset – is organising a volunteer collection service from 9-11 January 2021 for a small donation. Visit www.diverseabilities.org.uk/trees/ to see the areas that are covered for collection and to book.

For further information on the festive collections, please visit www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/festivewaste