Bournemouth Borough Council’s scheduled recycling and waste collections will run normally throughout the festive period and New Year with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Residents who are affected by the missed weekly rubbish or food waste collections can leave their Little Bin and food waste container clearly out at the kerbside on the edge of their property until it’s collected. If their bin is not collected they will be able to leave two black sacks next to their bin on their next collection day.
For those who will not receive their fortnightly recycling collection then excess recycling will be taken on their next collection day which must be put in a recycling bag or cardboard box. Recycling bags are available from local libraries from 1 December as recycling placed in black bin bags will not be collected.
Waste and recycling can be disposed of at Millhams Household Recycling Centre which is open from 8am to 5pm over the winter period with closures on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
There will also be Christmas tree collections running in the New Year from 12-23 January. Residents should put their tree out for collection on their scheduled refuse collection day which is also their non-recycling week.
In the event of adverse weather disrupting services, residents should leave their bins out as all efforts will be made to collect them as soon as conditions improve.
Councillor Michael Filer, portfolio holder for Transport, Cleansing & Waste, said:
“Bournemouth has an excellent record for managing its rubbish, with 91 per cent now reused, recycled or recovered, rather than going to landfill. Let us keep up the good work this Christmas by only throwing away what is necessary. By thinking before we use our dustbins, we can all recycle more and waste less. Finally, I send my personal greetings and best wishes to everyone for the festive season and for continued success in the New Year.”
In addition the waiting list to register for the green waste collection scheme for 2015 closes on Wednesday 24 December 2014. If residents are on the list, they will be contacted in January to say whether the 2015 scheme is being extended to include them. If residents still wish to register they can email their name, address and phone number to greenwaste@bournemouth.gov.uk or telephone on 01202 451199. Those already on the scheme do not need to re-register.
Traditionally, the festive period results in greater amounts of waste and recycling than usual. Some tips for reducing your seasonal waste are:
Turn this year’s Christmas cards into next year’s gift tags
Use seasonal greenery such as ivy, laurel and holly from your garden for decoration and compost afterwards
Switch to LED Christmas lights to save energy
Opt for rechargeable batteries for children’s toys
Use a reusable Christmas stocking for smaller gifts rather than wrapping paper
Make a conscious effort to buy items with less packaging
Try not to overbuy on food, especially perishables, to avoid having to bin excess and freeze or reuse leftovers in soups, stews and next day lunches (check out lovefoodhatewaste.com for festive recipes)
