Wirral’s Christmas recycling guide

Over the festive period, there will be some changes to grey, green and brown bin collections. It is also a time when households generate extra waste and recycling. This handy guide will ensure your bins are out on the correct day and you’re maximising the space in your bins to recycle as much as possible.  

Christmas bin collections 

If your green and grey bin day is Monday or Tuesday, there will be changes to your collections over Christmas: 

• Monday 25 December will now be collected on Saturday 23 December 
• Tuesday 26 December will now be collected on Sunday 24 December 
• Monday 1 January will now be collected on Saturday 30 December 

Collections may take place earlier than usual so please leave your bin out by 7am. 

Brown bin collections will pause from 23 December and restart on 16 January 2024. When the garden waste service restarts in January, chopped up real Christmas trees can be added to the garden waste bin.  

To check your bin collection day or to download your bin collection calendar, visit wirral.gov.uk/recycling 

Top tips for reducing your waste this Christmas: 

• Fruit and vegetables: While you’re picking up fruit and vegetables for Christmas, choose loose items instead of those packed in plastic packaging or take your own reusable fruit and veg bags. This helps to cut down on plastic packaging that goes into your green wheelie bin.  
• Cardboard boxes: Flatten and break up any boxes to save space for all other items that may need to go in your grey recycling bin. 
• Recycle plastic free wrapping paper. Not all wrapping paper is recyclable as it often contains plastic film or glitter which means it can’t be recycled. Do the scrunch test on wrapping paper!  To check, scrunch up the paper and if it doesn't spring back, it is non-foil and can be recycled in the grey bin. 
• Paper Christmas crackers can be recycled in the grey bin. Please remove any bows, ribbons, foil and plastic before recycling.  
• Packaging: Check if your delivery will take the packaging away saving you space in your bin  
• Food: If your fridge is already packed with leftovers ready for tomorrow’s lunch, dont foget you can freeze foods like bread, milk, cheese, meat. If you have a home compost bin fruit and vegetable scraps can go into your compost bin, even in the winter. 
• Paper Christmas cards: Cards without any plastic, glitter, foil, ribbons, batteries or electronics can be recycled in the grey bin. You could also cut up old Christmas cards to create gift tags for next year 
• Christmas lights or fairy lights: These are classed as small electrical items and should not be put in your wheelie bin. They can be recycled at the tip. 
• Bubble wrap: Bubble wrap can’t be recycled in your grey recycling bin. Save it to use again or take it on your next trip to the tip.  
• Batteries should never be put in a wheelie bin as they can cause fires if crushed or damaged. You can recycle batteries at your local HWRC or some supermarkets have collection points for them.  
• Chocolate, sweet and biscuit tubs (metal and plastic) can’t be recycled in the grey recycling bin. Save them to keep bits and bobs in or take them to the HWRC on your next visit.  
• Real Christmas trees: Real trees can be cut up and added to the brown garden waste bin. Remember to remove all tinsel and decorations and any pots or stands. Alternatively, look out for some charities who for a small donation will collect your real Christmas tree.  

Household waste recycling centres (Tip) opening hours 

There are three Household Waste Recycling Centres in Wirral operated by Veolia on behalf of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority . 

Centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day and open all other days from 8am until 5pm.  

You need to book an appointment online if you wish to visit in a van or with a large trailer between 2m and 3m – bookings can be made at www.merseysidewda.gov.uk or call 07774 787 340. Bookings cannot be made on the day.  

Centres accept a range of household materials for recycling, from batteries, cans and cardboard, through to garden clippings, glass bottles and wood. They also accept bulky items such as furniture and white goods (for example, fridges and freezers).  Check www.recycleright.org.uk for details of what can be accepted at your local site.  

Recycling Centres also have new disposable vape bins to help provide safe disposal and recycling routes for the millions of vapes currently thrown away each week across the UK. 

The Centres can become extremely busy at peak times so visits should be planned carefully.