Christmas Recycling & Refuse Collections

During the Christmas period your kerbside recycling and refuse collections will be one day later than normal as shown below: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

What can be recycled this Christmas? ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It’s easy to recycle from around the home at Christmas, from plastic food and drink packaging to cardboard boxes that housed gifts under the Christmas tree – there’s a variety of packaging that can go into your recycling boxes and reusable sack. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Drinks cans and food tins are welcomed in your recycling and so are glass bottles and jars; just make sure they’ve been given a quick rinse and pop them into your recycling boxes and reusable sack, or take them to your nearest Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC). Egg boxes, cardboard sleeves for food packaging and your favourite cake and biscuit selection boxes can all be recycled too! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Christmas lunch, New Year’s Eve celebrations and friends and family popping round all mean one thing – fridges and cupboards stocked with extra food and drink! Food waste such as vegetable peelings, turkey bones, plate scrapings, tea bags, coffee grinds and any out of date food can be put in your food waste caddy and be recycled too (please make sure you remove it from any packaging before placing in your food bin). ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Plastic drinks bottles and pots, tubs and trays can go straight into the blue recycling sack, just remember to give them a quick rinse in washing up water and remove any plastic tops or lids. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

And while we might spend a little extra time getting ready for Christmas and New Year nights out, just remember that toiletries such as plastic shower gel and shampoo bottles, deodorant and shaving gel aerosols along with card packaging from face creams and moisturisers can all be recycled. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Real Christmas Tree Recycling ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Council will collect your real Christmas trees for composting for two weeks between Tuesday 3rd January and Tuesday 17th January. Your tree should be cut in to manageable pieces (no longer than 1.5 meters and no more than 25kg) and be placed out for collection alongside your recycling. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The service is on request – please contact 01685 725138 to arrange a collection. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Christmas Wrapping Paper Recycling ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

We are unable to collect Christmas wrapping paper because it’s of a low quality and usually contains other non-recyclable items such as ribbons, bows, glitter and tape. Collecting it with our kerbside paper would contaminate the load and possibly result in the load being rejected by our contractors. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Please place your Christmas wrapping paper in your wheelie bin. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Christmas Cards ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As with wrapping paper, Christmas cards often have glitter, glue and ribbons attached, therefore we are unable to take these in your recycling box. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Please place your Christmas cards in your wheelie bin, or take them to the HWRC’s. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Household Waste & Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Our HWRC’s are located in Aberfan & Dowlais and are open 9am – 4.30pm 7 days a week, with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, when they will be closed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Please note that all materials taken to the HWRC’s must be sorted. No unsorted black bag waste is accepted at the sites. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

2015/2016 was a record-breaking year for recycling and waste collections in Merthyr Tydfil, with the County Borough showing the biggest increase in our combined recycling/composting & preparation for re-use (Recovery) rates in the whole of Wales. The amount of refuse that was sent to landfill was below the Welsh Government limit too, so we’d like to say a huge thank you to every single householder who has helped us to achieve this! ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2017. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​