Recycling, reducing and reusing waste over Christmas

Help Barnsley to be cleaner, greener and more sustainable this Christmas by recycling right.

There are plenty of ways you can reduce, reuse and recycle waste during the festive period. You can make the most of your recycle bins and donate what you can.

What to do with your festive waste

Advent calendars

Pop the plastic inner into your grey bin, and the cardboard into your blue bin.

Batteries

We accept batteries at our household waste recycling centres. You can also recycle them at some supermarkets. Please don't put batteries in your wheelie bins, as this can be dangerous.

Baubles

If they're in good condition, unwanted baubles can be donated. Otherwise, please put them in your grey bin.

Cardboard boxes

Cardboard boxes go into your blue bin, please ensure that you rip them up into smaller pieces to fit it all in.

Cards

Christmas cards without glitter or foil can be recycled in the blue bin. Please put all other cards in your grey bin.

Cartons

Any cartons for liquids, such as juice or milk cartons (Tetra Paks) go in your brown bin.

Clothes

Unwanted clothes can be donated if they're in good condition. If not, you can take them to a household waste recycling centre.

Christmas tree

To recycle your unwanted Christmas tree wrap it up in an old bed sheet and if necessary saw it in half, then take it to your nearest household waste recycling centre.

Crackers

Used crackers can be recycled and placed into your blue bin, just remove any ribbons and embellishments first. Any unused crackers can be saved for next Christmas.

Electronics

You can take unwanted electronics to your nearest household waste recycling centre. However, if they're in good condition, please consider donating them or using the reuse containers at your local recycling centre.

Foil trays

The foil trays that you use to cook your Christmas dinner go in the brown bin, after you've given them a wash.

Food leftovers

There's no need for your Christmas food leftovers to go to waste. There's lots of recipes to use up that spare veg on the Love Food Hate Waste website.

Gift bags

There's no need to throw away any gift bags you get given this Christmas. Cut down on your waste by saving them up and using them for your own gift wrapping next year.

Lights

Unwanted Christmas lights can be donated if they're in working condition. If not, we'll accept them at one of our household waste recycling centres.

Mince pie/biscuit trays

Foil trays for your mince pies or biscuits go in the brown bin. Please put any plastic trays in the grey bin.

Plastic bottles

Plastic bottles go in your brown bin. Our teams will collect any extra plastic bottles - just leave them in a clear plastic bag next to your brown bin when you leave it out for collection.

Toys

If they're in good condition, unwanted toys can be donated. Otherwise, please take them to one of our household waste recycling centres.

Unwanted presents

You can make the most out of any unwanted presents this year by donating them to a good cause.

Wrapping paper

Use the scrunch test on your wrapping paper. If it stays in a ball when scrunched, it can be recycled in your blue bin alongside brown paper and clean cardboard. If it bounces back, it belongs in your grey bin.