Highland recycling arrangements over festive period

Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for households and businesses, leading to a significant increase in waste. The Highland Council is encouraging everyone to take simple steps to reduce waste and recycle responsibly this festive season.

The new twin-bin recycling system is now fully operational across the Highlands, making it easier for everyone to recycle more materials and reduce landfill waste.

As the festive season approaches, we urge residents to consume responsibly and help protect our environment by reducing unnecessary waste.

Councillor Graham MacKenzie, Chair of the Communities and Place Committee, said: “Recycling during Christmas is essential to reducing waste sent for disposal and lowering our carbon footprint. Every effort counts. Our new recycling services make it easier than ever to recycle. Use your blue bin for Christmas cards, envelopes, wrapping paper, paper packaging, and cardboard. Use your green bin for food tins, drinks cans, cartons, aerosols, clean foil, and plastic containers—including those empty tubs of festive treats."

Please remember that soft plastics cannot be recycled in any of our recycling bins. This includes crisp packets, cling film and plastic wrap and bags. You can recycle these at most supermarkets.

You can find out what can go in your recycling bins on our website.

One area of waste that is becoming more prominent is the issue of electronic waste. Did you know that there are new facilities at Nairn Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), Wick and Thurso HWRCs and Inverness HWRC that enable householders to donate working electrical and electronic items for reuse?

If you are having a clear out before or after Christmas, please have a think about what you can do with your old tech. Householders can bring old, unused, or unwanted items such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, toasters, air fryers, and TVs to the reuse containers, provided they are still in good working order.

Cllr MacKenzie added: "Recycling electricals ensures safe disposal and allows valuable materials and resources to be recovered. Keeping electronic and electrical items out of bins has never been more important. If you are having a clear out at Christmas, please have a think about what you can do with your old tech and gadgets. Can it be repaired? Can you sell it? Or give it away on local reuse networks like Freecycle? Please do not put it in your non-recyclable bin. If items can’t be re-used in any way, please take them to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre.”

Don't forget to recycle your batteries at our Household Waste Recycling Centres or at your local supermarket. Please do not put batteries in your household bins or public litter bins as this is a fire risk.

If you're throwing out old, broken toys, remember to remove any batteries first, so that they can be recycled properly.

Christmas is also a time when we see a lot more food waste. For unavoidable food waste such as turkey bones, fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags and coffee grinds, householders who have a food waste collection in Inverness, Nairn, Easter Ross and Fort William are reminded to make maximum use of their food waste collection service. Visit our website to find out more about the Food Waste Collection Service.

After your Hogmanay celebrations, please take empty glass bottles to your local bottle bank or Household Waste Recycling Centre. You do not have to separate your glass into separate colours which makes it even more easy to recycle your glass bottles and jars.

If you have a real Christmas tree this year, please remember you can take it to your Household Waste Recycling Centre where it will be recycled into compost.

Some bin collection dates will change over the festive period. If your bin is usually collected on a Monday, Thursday or a Friday please see the alternative dates below:

Across the Highlands (excluding Inverness)

• Monday 22 December 2025 collections will be collected on Saturday 20 December 2025
• Thursday 25 December 2025 collections will be collected on Monday 22 December 2025
• Friday 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day) collections operating as normal
• Monday 29 December 2025 collections will be collected on Saturday 27 December 2025
• Thursday 1 January 2026 collections will be collected on Monday 29 December 2025
• Friday 2nd January 2026 collections will be collected on Saturday 3 January 2026.

Inverness area only

• Monday 22 December 2025 will be collected on Saturday 20 December 2025
• Thursday 25 December 2025 collections will be collected between Monday 22 December and Friday 26 December 2025
• Friday 26 December 2025 (Boxing Day) collections operating as normal
• Thursday 1 January 2025 collections will be collected between Monday 29 December 2025 and Wednesday 7 January 2026
• Friday 2 January 2026 collections will be collected between Saturday 3 January and Friday 9 January 2026

If your bin is not emptied on the dates as detailed above, please leave it out and we will collect it as soon as possible.

To check your bin collections please visit: www.highland.gov.uk/festivebindays

Household Waste Recycling Centres are open throughout the festive period except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and 1st and 2nd January. Householders are reminded to separate their items before arriving at the site – this saves time and increases the amount of recycling.

Please check www.highland.gov.uk/recyclingcentres for full details of Household Waste Recycling Centre opening hours and for the full range of materials accepted. Please remember that trailers and vans (under 3.5T) need to book to visit the larger sites and you can do that using the above link.

For further information about recycling in the Highlands visit: www.highland.gov.uk/recycle or email recycle@highland.gov.uk