Reduce - before you go shopping make a list and check what you already have in the cupboard. Make sure to check the dates on your food so you eat it in date order and anything you don't think you'll get round to eating check to see if this can be frozen. Keeping your fridge at the correct temperature can make your food last for longer.

Reuse - if you've cooked too much food see if you can make this into another meal, for example a winter vegetable soup for those leftover veggies!

Recycle - For any food waste that is unavoidable this can be recycled using the weekly food waste collection service. This includes turkey bones, egg shells and peelings. More information can be found online: www.westberks.gov.uk/foodwaste

Love Food Hate Waste have lots of excellent advice to help you make the most of
your food.

Christmas cards – you can send e-cards to friends and family instead of buying cards. Christmas cards from last year can be cut up and made into gift tags for this year.

Wrapping paper - gifts can be wrapped in newspaper or in cardboard boxes that you may already have. These can also then be recycled after use.

Top Tip! Christmas cards and wrapping paper can be recycled as long as they do not contain glitter, foil or other embellishments. Do the scrunch test to double check as well. 

Christmas Jumpers - many Christmas jumpers are only worn once a year so see if you can swap with friends of family instead of having to buy a new one.

This Christmas please ensure your black bins lid is closed and that there is no excess rubbish left next to the bin on collection day. Please do your bit for the environment and make sure you recycle and reduce your waste as much as you can.

Follow @recyclewestberkshire on Facebook for more waste saving tips over the Christmas period.

If you are a subscriber to the garden waste collection service you can get your real Christmas tree collected. Please put it out with your garden waste bin for collection between Monday 9 January until Friday 3 February 2023. Trees over 4 ft must be cut in half. Please remove all lights, decorations and pots.

If you do not subscribe to the garden waste collection service you can take your Christmas tree to one of our household waste recycling centres. Please make sure to book an appointment before you visit: www.westberks.gov.uk/clickandtip and that you have an online permit.

Sue Ryder* are offering a Christmas tree recycling service in return for a donation for certain postcodes in the Thames Valley. You need to register your tree by 4 January 2023 for a collection between 9-12 January 2023.

*Please note Sue Ryder may not be able to collect from you depending on demand and location. Other local charities may offer a similar service, we would advise you to look around to find one that best suits your needs.

For more information and some alternative options for tree recycling please visit: www.westberks.gov.uk/christmaswaste

Garden Waste collections are not scheduled to take place from Monday 26 December 2022 until Monday 9 January 2023. This was included in the terms and conditions of this year's garden waste subscription.

This two week period will free up more drivers and operatives to ensure your rubbish, recycling and food waste collections continue as scheduled throughout the busy Christmas period and into the New Year.

Food waste collections will continue to take place weekly from your kerbside caddies or purple wheelie bins (for communal dwellings/flats).

When the garden waste collections resume (from Monday 9 January 2023) you will be able to place up to 3 open topped bags of garden waste in addition to your green wheelie bin out for collection on your first scheduled date. We cannot collect from hippo or tonnage bags.

We collect a wide range of materials for recycling at the kerbside but there are additional recycling points around West Berkshire for other items, for example plastics pots, tubs and trays, tetra paks and small electricals. For the full list of locations and items please visit: www.westberks.gov.uk/minirecyclingcentres.

Using the recycling locater you can enter your postcode and the item you want to recycle and it will confirm if it can be recycled and if so, where the closest collection point is.

Next time you're in your local supermarket check to see what recycling schemes they offer too.