Avoid bin lorry fires by recycling right this Christmas
As the piles begin to form this week, Lincolnshire county council are hoping people can learn the importance of getting rid of rubbish in the right way
Last updated 24th Dec 2023
As we unwrap our gifts tomorrow across Lincolnshire and Newark with rubbish likely to build up quickly - we’re being urged to get recycling
Understanding what can go in which bin can be vital - with things like batteries causing fires in lorries if disposed of incorrectly.
Rachel Stamp is the Waste Manager for Lincolnshire County Council and tells us that this time of year is busy for them:
"So at this time of year, obviously we see an increase in the amount of things that people dispose off and throw away.
"So we see a lot more waste going in people's black bins in their general bins, but also an increase in recycling and in particular an increase in cardboard and paper and boxes, massive increase in tonnage that we see then."
She added batteries are a big issue:
"Anything that has a battery in it or any electrical wiring cannot go in any of your household bins - that's anything that is electrical or has batteries, please, please do not put them in your household bins.
"You can take them to any of the 11 household waste recycling centres. Or batteries can be returned back to any retailer that sells a battery, so be that your local coop in your village, be that a supermarket, take those batteries back to then please don't put them in the bins because they cause fires.
"When anything with electrical wires or batteries goes into the back of a bin lorry, the bin lorry compacts the waste to get as much in as possible. When that squeezes up and the spark with the metal in the in the in the bin lorry creates a fires, we've seen fires recently in our refuse collection vehicles with our Council colleagues in the districts, we've seen them at the household waste recycling centre where people just throw them in the general waste, take them to the right place, separate them, dispose of them responsibly."
We often produce more waste at Christmas time, so here are some of the items we’re most commonly asked about whether they can be recycled.
Please remember, if it’s glittery or greasy – keep it out of your recycling bin.
Check your bin days over Christmas with your district council.
Our Household Waste Recycling Centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day; they are open as normal on all other scheduled days.
Advent calendars
You can recycle your advent calendar as long as it doesn’t have any glitter or foil on the front.
Please separate the plastic tray inside from the outer cardboard.
Boxes
Whether it’s from online shopping, kids’ toys, or party food – we seem to have a lot more cardboard boxes around Christmas time.
Cardboard can be recycled at home in your purple-lidded bin if you have one, or in your recycling bin.
Cutting up your cardboard boxes will help you fit more into your bin, or you can take extra cardboard recycling to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Christmas cards
When it’s time to take your Christmas cards down, you can recycle them as long as there is no foil, glitter or glue on the front.
If there is, you can take off the back and recycle that, and then put the front of the card in your general waste.
Christmas crackers
Separate your crackers out once you’ve used them. Any cardboard and paper can be recycled, as long as it doesn’t have any glitter or foil on it.
Other items, such as plastics, ribbons, or any foil or glittery card needs to go in your general waste bin.
Crisp packets and tubes
Crisp packets and crisp tubes (such as Pringles) can’t be recycled and need to go in your general waste bin.
Electrical items and batteries
Take old electrical items to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. Batteries can be recycled there too, or you can often find battery recycling points in supermarkets.
Do not put any electrical items or batteries into any of your bins at home, or in the general waste at the tip – it can cause fires.
Food waste and vegetable peelings
Any food waste needs to go in your general waste bin, including vegetable peelings.
If you have a home composter, you can recycle vegetable peelings, eggshells, teabags and more in your compost bin – but these can’t go in your garden waste recycling bin from the council.
Glass bottles and cans
‘Tis the season to be merry – and once we’ve finished those extra drinks bottles and cans, they can be rinsed and recycling in your recycling bin at home.
Extra glass bottles can be taken to a bring bank at most large supermarkets, or to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Sweets, biscuits and chocolates
Sweet and chocolate wrappers cannot be recycled and need to go in your general waste bin.
If you’ve had a box of biscuits – the cardboard can be recycled, and any plastic trays (as long as they’re not black or brown), but the cellophane wrapper will need to go in your general waste bin.
If you’ve had a tub of chocolates, like Celebrations or Heroes, the plastic tub can be recycled. Sometimes these can also come in bags – this would need to go in your general waste bin.
If you’ve got ay foil-wrapped chocolate, mince pie foil tins, or even a metal chocolate tins – these can all be recycled as long as they’re clean and dry.
Takeaway containers and pizza boxes
If you wash out plastic or foil tubs and they are clean, they can be recycled.
Pizza boxes and other cardboard, such as lids, will be too greasy and need to go in your general waste bin.
Trees
Real Christmas trees can be recycled at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre. If they are small enough, they can be chopped-up and recycled in your garden waste bin at home.
St Barnabas Hospice also offer a tree-cycling scheme.
Plastic Christmas trees that you no longer need can be donated to charity or disposed of at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Old clothes
If you’re having a clear out to make way for your new stuff, you can take old clothes and other textiles to a Household Waste Recycling Centre, or to a clothes bank or charity shop near you.
Wrapping paper
If it’s glittery or has foil on it, it can’t be recycled. Plain wrapping paper can go in your recycling bin (purple-lidded bin if you have one).
Why not bring two bags into your living room on Christmas morning; one for recyclable paper and one for the bin. But remember to empty the bag into your recycling bin – we can’t recycle plastic bags!