Waste and recycling at Christmas

Recycle any greetings cards in your green bin, except glittery and metallic ones. Why not reuse any glittery or metallic cards buy making them into gift tags?

With the exception of the shiny metallic and glitter varieties, all paper, including wrapping paper, is recyclable. To find out if paper is recyclable try the scrunch test. Paper that is recyclable stays in a ball when it is scrunched in the hand.

Real Christmas trees can be taken to all recycling centres, but residents with the following postcodes can help raise money for St. Gemma’s Hospice and have their trees collected from their doorstep. The hospice collects trees from LS6, LS7, LS8, LS13, LS14, LS15, LS16, LS17, LS18, LS19, LS28, in return for a donation, which can be registered online at St Gemma's Hospice Christmas tree collection. Collection dates are between 8 and 12 January.

You can compost your vegetable peelings and cooked food in your home compost bin. Visit Love Food Hate Waste for handy tips on planning meals and reducing food waste.

Glass is endlessly recyclable, but not in your black or green household bins. Take your empty bottles and jars to a glass bank and you can leave caps and lids on as they will get recycled too. Find your nearest glass bank on our glass recycling page or by downloading the handy Leeds Bins app.

Polystyrene can’t be recycled. Dispose of small amounts in your black household waste bin. Larger pieces can be broken down or placed in the general waste skip at your local household waste recycling site (tip).

Single cell household batteries e.g. AA or AAA can be taken to collection points at any retailers where batteries are sold and to many council premises e.g. libraries, sports centres, One Stop Centres, schools etc. They can also be recycled at some bring sites and all household waste recycling sites (tips).

Bubble wrap can be recycled in your green bin.

Carrier bags, bread bags, toilet and kitchen roll wrappers, and stretchy fresh or frozen fruit and vegetable bags can all be recycled in your green bin. Check out our plastic recycling page for all the other plastic items that can be recycled in Leeds.

Shredded paper can go in your home composter as it rots down quickly to create good garden compost. Alternatively, it can be reused as pet bedding. If you aren’t able to compost or reuse it then please place it in your black rubbish bin, not the green recycling or brown garden waste bin.