The Household Waste Recycling Centre on Barkers Lane has revised opening times over the festive season.

A permit may be required if you are visiting the site in a van, with a trailer or disposing of DIY waste. Check to see if you need a permit online.

Christmas Eve: 9am to 1pm

Christmas Day: closed

Boxing Day: closed

New Year’s Eve: 9am to 1pm

New Year’s Day: closed

All other days: open 9am to 5pm. Last entry to site is 4.50pm.

Please sort your waste before visiting the site to ensure that the maximum can be recycled and reused. This will also speed up your visit and reduce queues.

Don’t put household batteries or gas bottles into your bins. Dispose of helium balloon gas canisters correctly by taking them to the Household Waste Recycling Centre on Barkers Lane. There is no appointment required, but you may need to request a free permit if you are visiting in a van. Visit our webpage for more information.

If you use gas bottles for your BBQ or patio heater, many retailers and suppliers operate return schemes once your gas bottle is empty. For advice on Calor Gas bottles, visit their refill, exchange and return webpage.

Many other gas bottle suppliers offer similar take back or return schemes, alternatively take your empty gas bottles and canisters to the Household Waste Recycling Centre on Barkers Lane for free.

We collect used household batteries with your bins. Put your used batteries in a small, clear plastic bag and seal it. When full, place the sealed bag on top of your black or orange lidded bin or sacks on your normal day of collection.

December is a time when there’s a lot of extra boxes, bags and other wrapping to be disposed of. Don’t forget, any extra recycling can be put out in a carboard box or clear bag next to your orange lidded recycling bin.

When sorting through the wrapping paper on Christmas day remember to use the ‘scrunch test’ to find out if you can recycle the wrapping from gifts you’ve received. Put simply, if it’s glitter-free, scrunches into a ball and doesn’t spring back, you can recycle it! Make sure you remove as much sticky tape as possible too.

Cardboard packaging is easily recycled, but remember to remove any plastic or polystyrene inserts and sticky tape first. Flat-pack any large boxes and put them out with your orange lidded recycling bin.

Glass bottles and jars are straightforward – they can go, metal lids and all, into one of the glass recycling banks located across the borough. Check where your nearest site is here.

Foil is a material people often aren’t sure about, and there’s a lot of it about at Christmas! The good news is you can simply scrunch it up lightly into a ball and pop it in with the recycling – just give it a quick rinse first.

Check what can and can’t be recycled online.

More information on the Real Christmas Tree recycling scheme will be sent out next week.