WITH Christmas almost upon us, Mid Devon District Council’s Waste team is encouraging residents to recycle as much as they can over the forthcoming festive period.

The customary traditions of feasting, celebrating and the exchanging of gifts means that waste from consumer packaging is produced in far greater quantity than at any other time of the year. However, you don’t need to put it all in a black sack!

• How should I recycle my Christmas cards and wrapping paper?

Christmas cards without glitter or embellishments, white and brown wrapping paper, and non-glittery/non-metallic wrapping paper - use the Green recycling box.

Christmas cards with glitter and/or embellishments and glittery/metalic wrapping paper - use the Black refuse sack - to be turned into energy from waste.

• What can I do with all my leftover food waste?

As disappointing as it is to see good food go to waste, for any peelings, plate scrapings and leftovers, make sure you use your blue kerbside caddy. If your caddy is full, you can place any extra food waste in a compostable liner or a plastic bag and leave it on top of your caddy for collection.

You can also visit: Recycle Devon’s Love Food Hate Waste webpage for help and tips on how to waste less food and save money.

• How can I recycle my real Christmas tree?

If you subscribe to the Council’s garden waste collection service and you have a real Christmas tree this year, you can put your tree out for collection alongside your brown bin or garden waste sack throughout January. If you’re not a subscriber, be responsible and take your Christmas tree to your local recycling centre when you’re next passing, see: Find a recycling centre.

• Will my collection days be affected by the Christmas and New Year holidays?

Depending on your weekly cycle, your collection days could be delayed by up to three days following Christmas and the New Year, until the collection teams work the following successive Saturdays to catch up.

To find out your revised collection dates, you can check your waste collection calendar; visit the Council’s Christmas & New Year collections webpage, or use the online collection day look-up facility.

The refuse and recycling teams will be working hard to ensure your collections are completed as scheduled, but please bear in mind, this will likely be at times later than usual due to the greater amounts of waste put out for collection.

If you do need to report a missed collection this can be done via the website.

Please note: all waste should be out by the kerbside by 6am on the revised collection days.

For more information on recycling at Christmas and for handy hints, visit: Recycle Devon, or: middevon.gov.uk/christmasrecycling.