Seasonal sorting: what to recycle at Christmas

It’s sometimes hard to know if the items we come across at this time of the year can be recycled or not. Check out our guide to find out.

Items widely recycled across Essex:

Glass, bottles and jars: Make sure they are empty and rinse them out before recycling.
Cardboard boxes: Flatten them to save space in your recycling bin or box.
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter or embellishments can be recycled.
Wrapping paper: Plain wrapping paper without glitter or foil can be recycled. Do the scrunch test: if it stays scrunched, it’s good to go!

Foil: Rinse foil trays to remove any food residue.
Aerosols: Make sure they are completely empty. Don’t try to pierce, crush or flatten them.
Food and drink cartons: Make sure cartons are empty and give them a rinse to remove any food residue. Leave plastic tops on cartons and recycle together.
Plastic pots, tubs and trays: Give them a quick rinse before recycling them.

Be sure to check your local council's website for further information.

Christmas lights: Lights should not be placed in your recycling bin, box or sack. Check your local council website to see if they offer a kerbside collection of small electrical items. Have a read through our advice for recycling your electricals.
Tinsel and baubles: These festive decorations are not recyclable. Store them carefully to reuse next year and put damaged ones in the rubbish bin.
Wrapping paper with glitter or foil: These materials can't be processed by recycling facilities. Opt for recyclable alternatives or reusable gift wrap.
Polystyrene: Polystyrene can’t be recycled because it breaks into small beads which can clog up sorting machines and cause them to break. Put it in your rubbish bin instead.
Batteries: Never put batteries in your recycling or rubbish bins as they can start fires in collection vehicles and at recycling facilities. Batteries can be recycled at many libraries, recycling centres, and many local retailers.
Christmas trees: Artificial Christmas trees are made out of plastic and cannot be recycled. Real Christmas trees can be chopped up and put in the garden waste bin. Be sure to also check your local council's website to find out if there is a dedicated real Christmas tree collection this Christmas.