NEW Forest District Council (NFDC) has issued some important information for residents in the lead up to Christmas.

This includes changes to household recycling and rubbish collections in the New Forest over Christmas and New Year.

Clear and black rubbish sack collections will take place as follows:

Sack collections usually due on Monday, December 25, and Monday, January 1, will instead be on Tuesday 2 January.

Sack collections usually due on Tuesday, December 26, and Tuesday, January 2, will instead be on Wednesday 3 January.

Sack collections usually due from Wednesday, January 3, to Friday, January 5, will instead be on the following day.

New Forest District Council (NFDC) can collect extra recycling and rubbish from affected households.

All other sack collections will stay the same as usual.

Glass collections will take place as follows:

Glass collections usually due on Monday, December 25, will instead be on Saturday, December 30.

Glass collections usually due on Tuesday, December 26, will instead be on Saturday, January 6.

Glass collections usually due on Monday, January 1, will instead be on Saturday, January 13.

All other glass collections will stay the same as usual.

Garden waste collections will take place as follows:

NFDC is pausing garden waste collections for two weeks over Christmas and New Year.

There will be no garden waste collections from Monday, December 25, to Sunday, January 7.

They will resume from Monday, January 8.

Reusing and recycling Christmas waste:

NFDC is reminding residents to add empty aerosols, plastic bottles, tins, cans, card, and paper to their clear recycling sacks.  

If not reused, greeting cards and plain brown gift wrap can be recycled, but any decorations such as ribbons or sticky tape need to be removed first.  

The majority of gift wrap is not suitable for recycling in Hampshire as it contains a mixture of plastic and foil.  

Christmas tree recycling: 

NFDC's Christmas tree drop-off points are returning from Sunday, December 31, to Sunday, January 14. 

Residents are asked to only drop off real Christmas trees and remove any decorations first, such as lights or wreaths. 

NFDC will recycle the trees by chipping them to create mulch. The mulch will be used locally to help keep moisture around plant roots, and to prevent weeds from growing. 

Last year, NFDC recycled over 6,500 Christmas trees which were taken to the drop-off locations.