 Bin collection date changes over festive period
The regular waste collection dates will be adjusted temporarily over the Christmas and New Year period.
All collections will run as normal up to and including Tuesday 24 December. From Wednesday 25 December 2024 to Friday 10 January 2025, there will be changes to your collection dates:
- No collection on Christmas Day (Wednesday 25 December), Boxing Day (Thursday 26 December) and New Year's Day (Wednesday 1 January)
- Our crews will work on Saturdays during this period (28 December, 4 January and 11 January)
- Garden waste collections will follow the same schedule
- Normal collections will resume from Monday 13 January
The revised collection schedule is available on our website.
 .....unsure what waste to put out?
This will be the first Christmas since we've changed to a new waste collection system, and we want to make sure you're prepared for the festive season.
To find out what waste to put out and when, use the find your bin collection day tool on our website. It's quick and easy to check your collection schedule.
For added convenience, you can download the free Scrapp mobile app offered by re3. It sends push notifications to your mobile at 6pm the day before your scheduled collections. You can also check the bin reminders at any time through the app.
Check out our step-by-step guide on how to set up your bin reminders on the Scrapp app.
 Reduce festive food waste
The holiday season is upon us! It is a time for friends and families to come together, meaning there will be an increase in cooking and the number of people we're cooking for.
Here are some tips to cut your food bills and reduce food waste this festive season:
Use a portion calculator
Don't overbuy or cook more than you need!
If you want to know how much food you actually need, the food portion calculator is a great place to start. It calculates a recommended average portion size for the type of food you’re making, in grams and other ways of measuring, such as slices or handfuls.
Keep your food fresher for longer
Food within its use-by date and kept according to storage instructions will stay fresher for longer.
The ideal fridge temperature is between 0-5°C. Adjusting the temperature of your fridge can help keep your food fresh for three days longer than usual. You can use the online fridge temperature tool to learn how to check the temperature of your fridge.
Get your festive freeze on
Your freezer can be your best friend at this time of the year!
Many people throw away food that is close to the use-by date without realising they can freeze it and keep it for later. Food Standards Agency advises that it's safe to freeze food right up until the use-by date.
You can freeze most food, including raw and cooked meats, fruit, potatoes (after boiling), grated cheese, and eggs. Visit the Love Food Hate Waste website to find out more about how to freeze different types of food.
 Buy fruit and vegetables loose
Research shows that if all apples, bananas and potatoes were sold loose, instead of in bags sold by weight, we could save 60,000 tonnes of food waste each year.
The reason is simple: when we buy fruit and vegetables loose, we can choose the amount we need. That means we won’t end up buying extra that can’t be finished before it goes off.
There are also other benefits of saving more money and reducing the amount of plastic waste!
Buying only what you need
Here are some practical tips to help you buy what you need and then eat what you buy:
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Meal planning: check and factor in what you already have in your fridge, freezer and cupboard, and then write a meal plan for the week ahead. There are free meal planning tools online, like the one by Tesco.
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Portion calculator: find out how much food you need to buy or cook by putting in details like number of meals, people and their age in the online portion calculator
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Store in fridge: most fruit and vegetables (except bananas, whole pineapples and onions) can be stored in the fridge to help last longer
 Christmas Treecycling for charity
The nationwide charity Sue Ryder is encouraging residents in the Thames Valley area to recycle their real Christmas trees through its Christmas Treecycling programme.
In return for a donation, volunteers from the charity will collect your tree direct from your front door, front garden or driveway and recycle it into wood chippings to be used in local parks or woodlands, or turned into biofuels.
You have to book for your collection online by 1 January. Collections will run from Tuesday 7 January to Friday 10 January in most postcodes in the borough. Collection capacity is limited, so book early.
The programme will help raise vital funds for Sue Ryder to continue its compassionate end-of-life care and bereavement support to people in need.
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