Bin collections are changing in Swindon and Wiltshire for Christmas.

Householders in Wiltshire Council areas have been told there will be no collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but catch-up collections will run on December 28, January 4 and 11.

Garden waste collections will stop for two weeks and all collections, including garden waste, return to normal from January 13.

Household recycling centres will close from 1pm on Christmas Eve, reopening on December 27.

Cabinet member for waste Bridget Wayman said: “The Christmas and New Year period is a very busy time for our collections team, with lots more waste and recycling to collect than normal. The team will work tirelessly to collect all the recycling and waste generated and to get collections back to their normal schedule by 13 January.

“We want everyone to recycle as much as they can this Christmas; wrapping paper which scrunches into a ball and doesn’t bounce back, cardboard packaging, plastic sweet tubs, mince pie foil cases, drink cans, glass bottles and Christmas cards without glitter or plastic decorations can all be recycled. Local charity shops will be happy to receive donations of any unwanted Christmas presents.”

Additional recyclable material such as glass, cans, and paper can be placed in carrier bags alongside your black box (one material per bag helps the collection crews when out on their rounds at this busy time).

Flatten cardboard and wash and squash plastic bottles and cartons and put their lids back on as this will help make more room in your blue-lidded bin.

People who pay to have their garden waste collected can put their real Christmas tree out alongside their garden waste bin on their first collection day in January so that we can collect it for composting, or they can support local charities by paying a small donation for a charity to collect. This is done via the Just Helping scheme at https://charityxmastreecollection.com/

For information about local recycling centres, recycling Christmas trees, collection days and advice on how to reduce waste and recycle as much as possible during the festive period visit wiltshire.gov.uk/rubbish-and-recycling

In Swindon whether collections will be earlier or later than normal all depends on whether you use a black wheelie bin or a blue sack.

The changes only affect those whose normal collection dates are Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Those people who have their black bin, recycling boxes and plastic recycling collected on those two days should put them out for collection on Monday, December 23.

Those with blue bags should put them out for collection a week later, New Year's Day or January 2.

Up to four bags may be put out for each household.

The council is asking people putting out bags to ensure that no recyclable material is put in them.

People taking part in the food waste collection trial get new dates.

If the normal collection is Christmas Day, people should put food waste out on Christmas Eve.

If the collection day falls on Boxing Day, or on January 1 it will be collected the day afterwards.