Free Christmas tree recycling in Derbyshire Dales

From 7 January Derbyshire Dales District Council will be helping local people recycle their real Christmas trees.

All residents have to do is place the tree at the edge of their property on their usual green/recycling collection day by 1 February and the tree will be composted along with other garden materials.

Any tree over 5ft in length must be broken or sawn down to a manageable size, with decorations and plant pots removed. Alternatively, trees can be taken to the nearest household waste recycling centre.

Plain Christmas cards and wrapping paper can be included in residents' kerbside cardboard and paper recycling to be collected by the District Council’s contractor Serco. Foil-backed and glittery cards and paper should not be included, but placed in general household waste grey bins or black sacks.

Excess recycling can be placed at the side of recycling containers, but residents should make sure it is easily identifiable and suitably contained in a transparent container such as a stacker box rather than a black bag.

Any excess card, paper and magazines must be separated from other excess recycling such as glass, plastics, cans, beverage cartons, aerosols and foil trays.

Cardboard should be flattened after removing all staples, packaging tape and polystyrene and bubble wrap. Any pieces that will not fit in a recycling container can be flattened and placed next to the container for collection - large cardboard boxes should be flattened and broken down into smaller pieces no wider than 0.5m to fit the recycling compartment of the collection trucks.

Small waste electrical and electronic equipment can be disposed of at one of the District Council’s electrical recycling banks in car parks at Lido, Matlock; Wirksworth’s Canterbury Road and Bakewell’s Granby Road. Derbyshire Dales residents can use the online postcode search at www.derbyshiredales.gov.uk/collectioncalendar to check on their collection cycle, where they can also download and view their 2019 collection calendar.

Anyone without online access who needs assistance can call the District Council’s Waste Helpline on 01629 761122.