Recycling collections over the Christmas period will take place two days later than scheduled, but residents will be granted an extra allowance, the county council confirmed.

No collections will take place on Christmas or Boxing Day, or New Year’s Day, whilst all collections during Christmas week will be collected two days later than usual, before returning to the regular schedule from Wednesday January 3.

Residents can check their collection days by visiting the Local Info page of the council’s website at maps.monmouthshire.gov.uk/.  ??Advice on reducing the amount of waste produced at Christmas time can be found by visiting www.recycleforwales.org.uk/.

The council has agreed that residents can put out one extra bag of household waste for their collection after Christmas Day from 27th December to 6th January.  There is no limit to the amount of recycling that can be left out for collection.??A council spokesperson confirmed that festive wrapping paper can be recycled in red bags provided it’s not made from foil, plastic or glitter wrap.  Christmas cards can be recycled in red bags too, but residents may consider offering them to charity shops that recycle them to raise funds.

Real Christmas trees (up to six foot tall) may be left for collection on the kerbside and recycled with food or garden waste – this applies even if residents do not have a brown garden waste bag.  Trees taller than six foot should be cut to a manageable size and left for collection or taken to a local household waste recycling centre.

Opening times for the council’s household waste recycling centres over the Christmas and New Year period are:

Sunday, 24th December 8am to 4pm (last entry 3.45pm); Monday, 25th December: Closed

Tuesday, 26th December: Closed; December 27 to 31: 8am to 4pm (last entry 3.45pm)

Monday, 1st January: Closed and Tuesday, 2nd January 8am to 6pm.

Councillor Brian Jones, Monmouthshire’s cabinet member with responsibility for waste and recycling said, “I’d like to wish the county’s communities a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and I warmly thank them for their impressive recycling efforts during 2017.”