After Christmas, bin crews are tasked with the mammoth job of dealing with heaps of festive rubbish, ranging from ripped wrapping paper to leftover food. However, well-meaning residents wanting to recycle could unintentionally be making their jobs harder.
In light of this, a refuse collector has issued an essential reminder urging people to be mindful about recycling and to help streamline the waste management process. Recycling holiday paper and decorations might seem like a good idea, but it's not always suitable and can cause complications for sorting staff.
A bin collector named Danny, representing the St Helens Borough Council in England, used their official TikTok page to caution: "Wait. Do you know what goes in what bin over the festive period? Wrapping paper, gift bags and Christmas cards CANNOT go in your green or blue recycling bags here in St Helens borough. Most contain foil, plastic, glitter and glue - so please pop them into your brown general waste bin!"
However, Danny also highlighted in the comments that each council's regulations may vary, advising people to verify local guidelines before disposal. On why these items aren't recyclable, he clarified: "It's the glitter and foil on them. If it's just plain old brown paper then that's fine. Each council is different though - it's just how it works here in St Helens so best to check with your council."
Recycle Now states that while paper-based greeting cards and envelopes usually can be recycled at home or at selected recycling points, certain components of greeting cards are non-recyclable, reports the Daily Record.
Wrapping paper can also be recycled if it passes a simple 'scrunch test', according to guidance by Recycle Now. In other words, "if it scrunches, it can be recycled", but you'll need to remove any bits that might be non-recyclable, such as sticky tape, decorations like ribbons or bows, and metallic foil or glitter-covered tape.
Non-metallic gift bags can also be recycled in most cases - but it's best to cut off any glitter, glue or other decorations before doing so. Your local council should accept Christmas cards, gift bags and wrapping paper through mixed collections, according to Forge Recycling, but it's always a good idea to check the specifics in your area using the Recycle Now Checker tool.
