Bins over the Christmas holidays and what to recycle afterwards

Details about waste services across festive period

Festive recycling and refuse collections are as follows:

  • Bins scheduled for collection on Wednesday 25 December will be collected on the earlier date of Saturday 21 December.
  • Thursday 26 December bins will be collected on Saturday 28 December.
  • Wednesday 1 January bins will be collected Saturday 4 January.
  • There are no changes to collections on Thursday 2 January.

For the festive period only (Monday 23 December to Monday 6 January):

  • If your bin is not emptied on its scheduled collection day, please bring it back in.
  • If a black lid bin is presented and missed, we will collect up to two extra black bags of excess waste on its next scheduled collection day.
  • If a recycling bin is presented, missed, and not tagged, we will collect extra recycling of the same type on its next scheduled collection day.

Details of missed collections will appear on our website www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/binsdisruptions

We know that the festive period can lead to excess waste and that is why it is important to keep in mind how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. That includes making good use of your green caddy for all food waste. Remember, peelings and bones can go into food waste too.

Our hard-working waste collection crews are focused on providing a great service but, inevitably, people will be inconvenienced in the winter season as temperatures drop.

We thank you for your patience as the crews navigate the often-difficult conditions they find themselves working in across the colder months for the residents and trade customers of Aberdeenshire.

For households only, if you find yourself accumulating additional recycling and waste items, our household recycling centres are available to visit www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/RecyclingCentres

Household recycling centres across the festive period:

  • Close at 3pm on Tuesday 24 December. Last entry for all booked vehicles at 2:30pm.
  • Closed all day on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 December.
  • Close at 3pm on Tuesday 31 December. Last entry for all booked vehicles at 2:30pm.
  • Closed all day on Wednesday 1 January.

We ask that all visitors to our household recycling centres check the website prior to travelling in case of closure, a change in opening times, a need to book, and to see what can be recycled.

If you do need to book, please arrive on time as entry may be refused to anyone arriving outside of their given time slot.

Commercial-type vehicles and vehicles with trailers must book to access all sites, with limits on their number of visits. Booking is required for all vehicles to access Inverurie and Westhill household recycling centres.

Booking slots for bulky uplifts are closed from the week commencing 16 December and start again from the week commencing 6 January.

You can get all the latest updates on waste collections along with an array of other council information by downloading the MyAberdeenshire app: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/my/mobile-app/

Real Christmas tree?

If it hasn’t been treated, sprayed with fake snow, etc, then there are quite a few good ideas out there for getting use out of it after the decorations come down. Of course, there’s always planting it out if it came with roots! Aberdeenshire Council doesn’t have a Christmas tree uplift service, so you’d need to take it to the nearest recycling centre as green waste.

For the branches: Make a bird feeder – cut off the branches, cover them in butter or margarine and then roll them in bird seeds. Make a wreath with the boughs. Use twiggy branches as plant supports in the spring – trim down and leave to dry out in the shed. Use the entire tree as the structure for climbing plants like clematis. Boughs can be used over flower beds as frost protection over winter.

For the trunk – cut into small disks and use as border edging. Larger pieces can be stacked in a corner to make a bug hotel.

For the needles – put into small fabric bags and use in wardrobes, drawers, etc for a fresh pine scent.

You can put the tree through a shredder and use as mulch. Just heap at the back of a border until it has rotted down a little, then spread in the warmer months.

Burning – use some of the dry branches in OUTDOOR fire pits (never indoor).

Post-Christmas Recycling

Make sure you have enough food recycling bags for your peelings and all those leftovers you don’t manage to eat up in time!

Wrapping paper

Blue lid recycling bin

Can be recycled if it scrunches and stays compressed, springy wrapping paper with plastic content cannot be recycled.

Metallic wrapping paper

Black bin (non-recyclable waste)

Currently can’t be recycled through our services.

Bubble wrap

Black bin (non-recyclable waste)

Currently can’t be recycled through our services.

Greeting cards (containing glitter)

Black bin (non-recyclable waste)

Currently can’t be recycled through our services as glitter causes contamination. You can remove back of the card if it is glitter free.

Greeting cards (without glitter)

Blue lid recycling bin

Make sure there is no glitter.

Library consultations

Below is a news release (Friday 6th December 2024) from Aberdeenshire Council. As you can see, there is no detail yet on any options being explored for Newtonhill library services. I am assuming that the consultation event will be held in the Bettridge Centre, where the library is currently hosted. Concerns have already been raised that having just one consultation event during the working week is not ideal.

Communities invited to share views on future delivery of Aberdeenshire library services

Discussions around the future delivery of library services in a number of communities are to take place across Aberdeenshire over the next fortnight.

During the events, Live Life Aberdeenshire (LLA) will outline options that are currently being explored and invite customers and residents to share additional ideas for consideration.

The sessions are being delivered in two phases, with the first events taking place in the Cairnbulg, Kintore, Newmachar, Insch, Boddam, Rosehearty, and Macduff libraries.

Further events will take place in January at the New Pitsligo, Inverbervie, Newtonhill, Strichen, Cruden Bay and Balmedie libraries.

Head of Communities, Partnerships & Wellbeing, Avril Nicol, said: “Our aim through these discussions is to provide reassurance that our intention is to continue to provide an element of face-to-face contact with our communities in the future, albeit this might be in a different location or delivered in a different way.

“It’s also an opportunity for us to outline our approach to delivering an affordable, sustainable model of service delivery in partnership with our communities. This will be supported by a network of 18 core libraries across Aberdeenshire and an ongoing wide range of digital services alongside the already popular ‘Click & Collect’ and doorstep delivery options which have been developed over recent years.

“The discussions we’ve already had in some areas has helped us identify some exciting opportunities that we believe will be mutually beneficially to the service and our communities.”

December’s events will take place as follows:

  • Cairnbulg Library: Wed, Dec 11, from 12.30pm-1.30pm.
  • Kintore Library: Thu, Dec 12, from 1pm-2pm
  • Newmachar Library: Thu, Dec 12, from 3pm-4.30pm
  • Insch Library: Fri, Dec 13, from 2pm-3.30pm
  • Boddam Library: Tue, Dec 17, from 10am-11.30am
  • Rosehearty Library: Tue, Dec 17, from 12.30pm-2pm
  • Macduff Library: Tue, Dec 17, from 2.45pm-4.15pm

January’s events will take place as follows:

  • New Pitsligo Library: Mon, Jan 6, from 10am-11.30am
  • Inverbervie Library: Mon, Jan 6, from 1.30pm-3pm
  • Newtonhill Library: Wed, Jan 8, from 3.30pm-5pm
  • Strichen Library: Fri, Jan 10, from 10am-11.30am
  • Cruden Bay Library: Fri, Jan 10, from 12.15pm-1.45pm
  • Balmedie Library: Fri, Jan 10, from 3.30pm-4.30pm

The options currently being explored by LLA for the libraries concerned can be found below:

  • Cairnbulg: LLA is exploring alternative buildings for the co-location/delivery of services, and to explore potential interest in asset transfer or lease of the existing library building.
  • Kintore: The existing library space will remain within Kintore School, with the focus of discussion being around the proposed changes in delivery.
  • Insch: LLA is considering the use of Insch Community Centre for the future delivery of local library services.
  • Newmachar: LLA is exploring the possibility of delivering library activity in the Newmachar Primary School and perhaps working with local community managed facilities.
  • Boddam: Options are being explored at the school and village hall.
  • Rosehearty: The existing library space will remain within Rosehearty School, with the focus of discussion being around proposed changes in delivery.
  • Macduff: LLA is exploring the potential of delivering library activity in alternative buildings such as the Myrus Centre and perhaps working with local community managed facilities.
  • New Pitsligo: LLA is exploring alternative buildings for the co-location/delivery of services.
  • Inverbervie: LLA is exploring alternative community owned buildings for the co-location/delivery of services. 
  • Strichen: LLA is exploring alternative buildings for the co-location/delivery of services.
  • Cruden Bay: LLA is exploring alternative community owned buildings for the co-location/delivery of services. 
  • Balmedie: LLA is exploring alternative options including community owned buildings for the co-location/delivery of services. 

Feedback can also be shared with Live Life Aberdeenshire directly at llacustomerservice@aberdeenshire.gov.uk