After the family has torn open dozens of Christmas presents and consumed a week’s worth of food in just three days there can be a lot of rubbish left clogging up your home.

With a three week gap between grey bin collections for most Kirklees households, the festive season is a key time to understand what you can recycle.

Here’s the advice from Kirklees Council about what can go in your green bin and what can’t.

Can wrapping paper and Christmas cards be recycled?

Yes, please recycle your Christmas cards and basic wrapping paper, but remember that any luxury paper that is covered in glitter or made of foil unfortunately has to be disposed of in the grey bin. Ribbon also needs to be removed from paper that is going in the green bin.

Kirklees Household Waste Recycling Centre, Emerald St, Hillhouse, Huddersfield.

There’s a lot of cardboard and plastic packaging to get rid of.

Yes, cardboard of all types goes in the green bin, but remember that all internal packaging such as bubble wrap, styrofoam beads and other plastic packaging goes in your grey bin.

What about foil from the turkey?

Unfortunately all foil – even if it is clean – has to go in your grey waste bin. This is because waste and recycling systems don’t allow for it to be checked. Dirty foil would contaminate the system and therefore all foil cannot be recycled.

We’ve got food leftovers – does it all have to go in the grey bin?

Yes - no food waste should go in your green bin. To find out how you can waste less food, help the environment and save money, look at the Love Food Hate Waste website.

Five waste and recycling centres will be hit by industrial action
Five waste and recycling centres will be hit by industrial action

Can I put glass in the green bin?

No – and try not to put it in the grey bin either. There’s bottle banks to recycle any empty bottles from your Christmas celebrations within a few minutes of most homes in Kirklees. Bottle bank locations are listed by area on the Kirklees Council website.

We’ve got a lot of plastic packaging from food containers and gifts. Why can’t it be recycled?

Unfortunately Kirklees’ current plastic recycling systems only allow for plastic drinks and milk bottles, including from toiletries and household cleaners. Please dispose of the lids in the grey bin as they are a different kind of plastic. Margarine tubs, yoghurt pots, plastic film, food containers and ‘Tetrapak’ cartons all have to go in the grey bin.

What else that is metal can be recycled in the green bin?

Other than food tins, and beer and pop cans – not a lot – is the answer. One thing you may not know is that empty aerosols can go in the green bin (but not the plastic lids).

When my Christmas tree has finished shedding needles what should I do with it?

Trees can be recycled at your local household waste recycling centre. Alternatively, you can make a booking with the council’s bulky waste collection team which costs £5. Other Christmas tree collection services are available.

If my bin is full are the tips open?

There’s no bin collections between December 25 and January 1, but household waste recycling centres are open everyday, apart from the bank holidays, from 8am to 4pm (Monday to Saturday) and 9am to 4pm (Sunday). Make sure you have a valid permit before you set off.