The presents are under the tree, the lights are up outside, and the ham is in the pillowcase – you're Christmas-ready! But of course, this wonderful time of the year is also pretty heavy on rubbish and recycling. Here’s what you need to know about getting that right this Christmas:
Reduce and Reuse
Before you buy, think about what you can reuse. By reducing the amount of stuff that we buy, and instead reusing what we have, we’re doing ourselves a huge favour – it's important to send as little to landfill as possible! Instead of getting new plastic decorations, see what you can find at an op shop – there are some real treasures out there...
Wrapping Paper
Before tossing your wrapping paper into the yellow-lid recycling bin, do the ‘rip test’. If you can tear it, it’s recyclable! Try not to scrunch it up — it’s best laid flat to make it easier to process. Glittery or foil wrapping paper? Sorry, that belongs in your red-lid rubbish bin.
Christmas Decorations
- Tinsel and ornaments: If they’re no longer usable, pop them in your red-lid rubbish bin, or keep an eye out for any op shops who are taking them.
- Christmas lights: Whether they're working or broken, these can go to Earthlink in Taitā. Broken lights can go to the Zero Waste Hub at the landfill.
Cards, Gift Bags, and Tissue Paper
- Christmas cards: If they’re tearable and don’t have plastic decorations on them, recycle these in your yellow-lid recycling bin. If not, they’ll need to go in the red-lid rubbish bin.
- Gift bags: Op shops will happily take reusable ones. If they’re too worn, pop them in your red-lid rubbish bin (bags that are tearable paper can go into your recycling bin).
- Tissue Paper: This can go straight into your red-lid rubbish bin.
Christmas Trees
- Plastic or metal trees: Donate them to an op shop if they’re in good shape. Otherwise, they belong at the landfill. Scrap metal can be taken to a scrap metal recycler to be sold!
- Real Trees: If you’ve gone with the real deal, check out local green waste options for disposal (just make sure to remove the tinsel!).
Old Toys and Household Items
Have toys that the kids have outgrown or gadgets you no longer use?
- Heaps of things can find a second home or be recycled at Earthlink - even broken items! You can also take plenty of things to one of Lower Hutt’s many op shops, so long as they're still usable. Sharing the joy is a great way to spread holiday cheer.
- You can also sell them online, of course! The main focus is that items keep getting reused, as opposed to getting chucked out.
Food Scraps and Soft Plastics
- Food Scraps: Compost what you can or place them in your red-lid rubbish bin.
- Soft Plastics: These belong in your local soft plastics recycling bin or your red-lid rubbish bin.
Drink cans and bottles
- Cans and plastic bottles: Rinse them out and put them into your yellow-lid recycling bin. Remember, only plastics marked 1, 2 and 5 go into your recycling bin. Any others go into the red-lid rubbish bin.
- Glass bottles: Rinse them out and put them into your blue glass-recycling crate. If you have too many for your crate, please take them to Silverstream Landfill or Seaview Transfer Station.
Cardboard
- Got too much cardboard for your recycling bin? Take the excess to the Seaview Transfer Station.
- Got wet cardboard? Either let it dry out and put it into your yellow-lid recycling bin, or put it into your red-lid rubbish bin.
Collection dates
This year, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are Wednesdays. If your usual collection day is Wednesday, please have your rubbish and recycling out for collection the following Saturday morning (28 December and 4 January).
How to get your 2025 recycling calendar
This year, we’re sending out our 2025 recycling calendar to anyone who wants one, as opposed to sending a copy to every household. You can still easily get a copy of your calendar – here's how:
♻️ The most popular option: go to www.toogoodtowaste.nz and enter your address in the search tool, then download a printable version. You can also just use the search bar
♻️ You can also request a copy by visiting tgtw.nz/binform and selecting ‘I need a new collection calendar’
️♻️ From late December, visit your local Neighbourhood Hub / Library or our offices at 30 Laings Road, where a member of staff will take your address and give you the correct version.
Please be sure to spread the word – we want everyone who’d like a copy to get one.
Meri Kirihimete!
For more recycling tips and information, check out www.toogoodtowaste.nz
Read more about Council services over Christmas at hutt.city/christmas