THERE are no changes to bin collections in Carmarthenshire over the festive period.

Householders should put out their rubbish on their usual collection day. This also includes council hygiene waste collections.

Please put your bins out by 6 am on the day of collection, and remember the maximum number of black bags you can put out is three a fortnight.

Blue bags should be used to recycle all your plastic bottles, cans and foil (such as mince pie cases), wrapping paper (do the ’scrunch test’ - if the paper stays in a ball after being scrunched it can be recycled), Christmas cards (just remove any badges, bows, foil, glitter and ribbons first) and flat-packed cardboard packaging. Larger delivery boxes can be placed alongside or underneath your blue bags when placing them out for collection.

Christmas food waste - including your turkey bones - should go in your green food bins, which are collected weekly.

Glass bottles and jars can be recycled at your nearest bottle bank, please visit the recycling pages on the council website for locations.

It’s a busy time of year for glass recycling and we’ve increased collections over the festive period.

If your nearest bottle bank is full, please report it and go to your next available site or call back another day. Please do not leave glass or any other waste on the ground.

The recycling centre in Whitland is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and will close at 12 noon on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve (last appointments 11.30 am).

All sites including Whitland are open Monday, December 27, Tuesday, December 28 and Monday, January 3. To book an appointment please visit the council website.

Please separate any recyclable items before you go – Christmas trees, electrical items and batteries can all be recycled. And anyone who takes their real Christmas tree to a recycling centre in January will receive a bag of ‘Merlin’s Magic Compost’ free of charge.

Cabinet Member for the Environment Clr. Hazel Evans said: “Christmas is traditionally the time of year we create the most waste at home. From all the extra food we buy to the mountain of packaging from Christmas gift purchases, it’s important we recycle as much as possible.

“I would like to thank all Carmarthenshire residents for doing all they can to reduce, reuse and recycle, it’s one of the easiest things we can do to help tackle climate change. Please keep it up over the Christmas period as it really does make a difference.

“I would also like to thank all our crews who will be working over the Christmas and New Year period to make sure all our waste is collected and recycled, and our streets are kept clean.

“We really appreciate all their hard work, particularly at this time of year, when they are out in all types of weather as well. Thank you.”

Visit: carmarthenshire.gov.wales/recycling to check your collection day and for further information and advice.