What you can recycle at Christmas
East Devon
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter), foil or embellishments can be recycled.
Wrapping paper: Wrapping paper without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter), foil or embellishments can be recycled.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled (lids in recycling sack, jars/bottles in recycling box).
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil (including trays) can be recycled.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in East Devon may be affected over the Christmas period.
Please note: Green ‘garden’ waste collections will be paused between Monday 16th December and Friday 10th January. You can check your dates here.
Exeter
Christmas cards: You cannot recycle Christmas cards via your kerbside collections.
Please take cards (that are free from any glitter, including eco/biodegradable glitter, or embellishments) to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre.
Wrapping paper: Brown paper only (without glitter – including eco/biodegradable glitter, or metallic embellishments) can be recycled. Printed designs or decoration with water-based paints and ink are acceptable, as long as the paper is brown on both sides.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled via recycling banks – find your nearest bank here.
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil can be recycled. Foil should be balled or wrapped to the size of a tennis ball.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in Exeter may be affected over the Christmas period.
Mid Devon
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter) or embellishments can be recycled in the green recycling box.
Wrapping paper: Wrapping paper without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter), or metallic embellishments can be recycled in the green recycling box. Please remove ribbons and bows first.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled in the green recycling box.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled in the black recycling box 2.
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil can be recycled in the black recycling box 1.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in Mid Devon may be affected over the Christmas period.
North Devon
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter), embellishments or foil can be recycled in your brown cardboard bag.
Wrapping paper: No wrapping paper will be accepted for recycling.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled (including lids).
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil can be recycled.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in North Devon may be affected over the Christmas period.
Please note: Garden waste collections are suspended from Monday 23 December until Friday 3 January 2025.
Plymouth
For information on what you can recycle in Plymouth, please click here.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in Plymouth may be affected over the Christmas period.
South Hams
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter) or embellishments can be recycled.
Wrapping paper: Brown paper only (without glitter – including eco/biodegradable glitter, or embellishments) can be recycled.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled (plastic/metal lids to go in reusable sack, jars/bottles in recycling box 1).
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil (including trays) can be recycled.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in South Hams may be affected over the Christmas period.
Teignbridge
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter), foil or embellishments can be recycled in the green recycling box.
White envelopes can be recycled in your paper recycling sack. Brown and coloured envelopes can be recycled in your green recycling box with your cardboard recycling.
Wrapping paper: Paper (without glitter – including eco/biodegradable glitter, foil or embellishments) can be recycled in your green recycling box with your cardboard as long as it passes the scrunch test.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles (with or without lids attached) can be recycled.
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil (including trays) can be recycled.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in Teignbridge may be affected over the Christmas period.
Torbay
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter) or embellishments can be recycled – please tear off any glitter sections.
Wrapping paper: Paper (without glitter – including eco/biodegradable glitter, foil or embellishments) can be recycled in your blue bag, as long as it passes the ‘scrunch test’. Brown wrapping paper should be placed in your ‘orange-stickered’ recycling box with your cardboard.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled.
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil (including trays) can be recycled.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in Torbay may be affected over the Christmas period.
For general recycling collection information for the rest of the year, please click here.
Torridge
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter) or embellishments can be recycled in the brown cardboard recycling sack.
Wrapping paper: Brown paper only (without glitter, including eco/biodegradable glitter, or embellishments) can be recycled in the brown cardboard recycling sack.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled.
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil can be recycled.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in Torridge may be affected over the Christmas period.
Please note: Garden waste collections are suspended from 23rd December 2024 to the 5th January 2025.
West Devon
Christmas cards: Cards without glitter (including eco/biodegradable glitter) or embellishments can be recycled in recycling box 2.
Wrapping paper: Brown paper only (without glitter, including eco/biodegradable glitter, or embellishments) can be recycled in recycling box 1.
Real Christmas trees: Please click here for how to recycle your real Christmas trees.
Cardboard/Paper: Clean, dry cardboard and paper can be recycled.
Glass: Rinsed glass jars and bottles can be recycled (plastic/metal lids to go in reusable sack, jars/bottles in recycling box 1).
Aluminium Foil: Clean and dry foil (including trays and wrappers) can be recycled.
Changes to collection days: Please click here to find out how your collections days in West Devon may be affected over the Christmas period.
