RECYCLING and bin collections are changing over Christmas in Somerset.

Somerset Council has announced changes to collections over the festive period, and is urging residents to make sure they know when their pick-ups are.

The council said if a collection day is usually a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, then there will be no change this year.

Rubbish and recycling collections in Somerset this Christmas:

• Thursday, December 25 will move to Saturday, December 27
• Friday, December 26 will move to Sunday, December 28
• Thursday, January 1 will move to Friday, January 2
• Friday, January 2 will move to Saturday, January 3

There are no garden waste collections from Thursday, December 25 to Wednesday, January 7. Garden waste collections restart on Thursday, January 8.

Meanwhile, all Somerset Council recycling sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but are open as usual on all other days.

What you can recycle in Somerset this Christmas:

• Real Christmas trees can be recycled via the garden waste skips at any recycling site.
• Garden waste subscribers can leave Christmas trees under two meters tall next to their Garden Waste recycling bin on their first collection back.
• Wrapping paper free from foil, plastic or glitter can be recycled with paper at the kerbside (don’t bag up in black bin bags).
• Large plastic tubs for chocolates can be recycled via the Bright Blue Bag.
• Christmas cards free from foil, plastic or glitter can be recycled with cardboard at the kerbside.
• Foil from sweets can be scrunched together with larger pieces or foil trays and recycled via the Bright Blue Bag.
• To make the most of the space in recycling boxes residents are encouraged to squash, flatten or scrunch up recycling where it is safe to do so.