Bracknell

In a bid to beat last year's record level of festive recycling, Bracknell residents are being given a clear plastic bag for excess paper and card again this Christmas.

The Bracknell bags, which were due to be delivered in early December, can be used for all the extra cardboard and wrapping paper used over the festive period which will not fit in the kerbside boxes.

Christmas trees will also be collected by the Bracknell Council’s garden waste vehicles. Please remove all decorations and leave close to the kerbside - without blocking the pavement - on recycling collection day . They do not need to be in brown wheelie bins or biodegradable sacks, but will be composted with garden waste - so please do not leave in plastic bags.

After Christmas last year in Bracknell Forest a record 1,500 tonnes of waste was recycled, including 250 tonnes of glass bottles, 845 tonnes of card and paper and 414 tonnes of Christmas trees and foliage. However 3,022 tonnes of waste was sent to landfill sites - 20 per cent higher than other winter months

Four tonnes of Christmas cards from Bracknell Forest was collected and recycled by the Woodland Trust. Residents can again recycle their cards in January at Tesco, WH Smith and Marks & Spencer.

Due to the bank holidays on Tuesday, December 25, and Wednesday, December 26, and then on Tuesday, January 1, there are also revised refuse and recycling collection dates.

Bracknell Residents who would normally receive a collection on a Monday should place their refuse or recycling at the kerbside on Saturday, December 22; and residents who usually have their refuse or recycling collected on a Tuesday should place their refuse or recycling at the kerbside on Christmas Eve - one day early.

All other residents will have their refuse or recycling collections one day late.

Collections will take place as normal on New Year’s Eve, and as there are no collections on New Year’s Day, all other collections will be one day late.

If you do have additional refuse and recycling, it can be taken to the Longshot Lane civic amenity site, which is open to residents from 8am-6pm and is only closed on Christmas Day.

Cllr Mrs Dorothy Hayes, Executive Member for the Bracknell Environment, said: "I would like to thank Bracknell Forest residents for their hard work recycling last Christmas and throughout this year.

”Please have a wonderful Christmas, and try to remember to recycle as much as you can over the seasonal period.”

Please refer to your recycling calendar or visit www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/whereyoulive to find out which weeks your recycling or landfill waste will be collected; and for further information on refuse and recycling, call 01344 352000 or visit www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/abc

Bracknell Forest Borough Council