SOMERSET Waste Partnership has issued guidance on how to reduce, reuse and recycle this festive season.

Helpful hints for managing seasonal staples include:

Wrapping paper:

  • Reuse if possible and choose only recyclable paper gift wrap. Avoid glittery, foil and plastic wraps which should go in your rubbish bin.
  • Try the scrunch test – only paper wrap that stays scrunched can be recycled
  • Remove sticky tape, bows and decorations.
  • Paper wrapping paper needs to be added to the other paper in the correct recycling box.
  • If you take wrapping paper to a recycling site, put it in the special bins provided.

Pringle and other crisp tubes:

  • These are accepted at 12 Somerset recycling sites (all but Castle Cary, Cheddar, Dulverton and Somerton) in the skips for cartons/Tetra Pak.
  • The same goes for similar “paper containers with metal ends” like those for hot chocolate or custard powder.

Tubs and tins of sweets and chocolates:

  • Reuse for storage if possible.
  • Plastic tubs go in your Bright Blue Bag or can be taken to any recycling site and dropped off in the skip for plastic pots, tubs, trays and bottles.
  • Metal tins can go in your Bright Blue Bag or if you don't have one in your black recycling box. Otherwise take them to any recycling site.

You can find ideas for reducing the festive cardboard mountain by thinking outside the box and tackling food waste by planning ahead.

Bank holidays also mean changes to collection days over the festive fortnight. Check the changes on the festive webpage or use the My Collection Day feature on the SWP homepage.

All 16 recycling sites are open on their usual winter hours over Christmas and the New Year, except all close on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day

Recycle sites at Dulverton on Monday, December 27, and Crewkerne on Tuesday, December 28, have one-off days open 9am-5pm to help with post-Christmas waste.

Mickey Green, SWP managing director, said: “Christmas inevitably creates waste, but with some planning ahead you can keep it to a minimum and be ready to do the right thing with things that can be reused or recycled.

“Reducing, reusing and recycling saves carbon. That matters more than ever to many people and SWP is working hard to do its bit.”

Check out more Somerset Waste Partnership festive tips HERE.