Update on Horsham bin collections over Christmas: What you need to know

Horsham District Council says collection crews will be working additional Saturdays on 2, 9 and 16 January to catch up and collections will be back to the normal schedule week commencing 18 January 2021.

Garden waste collections will be suspended over the festive period and will resume on Wednesday 6 January.

A spokesman said: “Any extra resources will be deployed to help with the additional recycling materials generated over the festive period.”

Residents can download their own personalised collections calendar here:

https://www.horsham.gov.uk/waste-recycling-and-bins/household-bin-collections/check-your-bin-collection-day

Dog bins and litter bins throughout the district will be emptied a day earlier for Christmas Day and one day later for Boxing Day and a day earlier for New Year’s Day.

The spokesman added: “Waste from households with possible cases of coronavirus (Covid-19), or from cleaning of areas where possible cases have been, including disposable cloths and tissues), should be dealt with as follows:

“Place all waste in a plastic rubbish bag and tie it when full.

“The plastic bag should then be placed in a second bin bag and tied.

“The bag should be put in a suitable and secure place, away from children, for 72 hours.

“After waste has been stored for 72 hours it can be placed in the normal general waste bin.

“Please do not put your waste in communal waste areas until negative test results are known or the waste has been stored for at least 72 hours.

“Please help our crews by giving bin handles a wipe down after you place your bin out for collection.

“Thanks to our residents recycling efforts, the Horsham district has achieved a recycling rate of 53.5 per cent but we can do more to recycle and reduce waste.

“It can be easy to buy more than you need in a weekly food shop, especially at Christmas. In fact, 40 per cent of our rubbish is wasted food. That’s over 8,600 tonnes a year. For hints and tips to reduce food waste go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

“Remember all of your cardboard packaging from home deliveries can be recycled in your blue-top bin but please remember to rip up large pieces of card as these can cause your recycling to become stuck in the bin.

“Plastic film, bubble wrap and polystyrene packaging cannot be accepted in your blue-top bins for recycling.

“No foil or glittery wrapping paper in your blue-top bins for recycling – do the scrunch test. If you can scrunch it and it doesn’t spring back it doesn’t contain plastic and can be recycled.

“Christmas cards, corrugated cardboard boxes, cardboard tubes and plastic trays can all be recycled in your blue-top bin.”