Planning Tips to Manage Waste at Easter
Waste management schedules at Easter often change for homes and businesses due to the long bank holiday weekend. Regular domestic bin collection days may move forward or back and commercial waste removal dates could shift. Your waste collection company or local council/authority should tell you about any changes in advance, but double-checking helps.
It’s important you’re aware of any schedule shifts to ensure you put your bins out at the right time. This helps avoid overflowing bins and unhygienic conditions developing – especially where food waste is concerned. You might also create more rubbish and increased volumes of certain waste types over Easter, so efficient management is vital.
If you’re planning a spring clean and trip to the tip, these may also have different opening hours. Stay on top of your waste management schedule at Easter for your business or home with these tips and answers to common questions about dealing with rubbish at Easter.
How to manage commercial
waste at Easter
The first thing to check is whether there will be any changes to your regular commercial waste collections over the Easter period. Some may not work on the bank holidays or might work different hours. Contact your current waste collection company to ask, if they haven’t already called or emailed to inform you of any changes.
If the days change then you’ll need to put a plan in place to make sure your commercial waste bins are moved to their pickup spot on the correct dates. Ensure whoever’s responsible for moving any bins is aware of the changes and set a reminder. This could be a simple note on the wall where the bins are stored or setting up an alert to their phone.
Over Easter, your business could be closed for a few extra days as well. Even if your regular bin collection days are the same across the bank holiday weekend, if your company’s shut it may cause access issues and stop your bins from being emptied. Provide the collection company with any gate codes, ensure someone is on-site, or move your bins to an accessible location and inform your waste collectors to avoid missed collections.
Arranging extra waste
collections at Easter
If you run a business that really buys into Easter then you might need to order some additional or bigger bins across the festive period – or increase your waste collection frequencies. The likes of restaurants, cafés, shops, and even offices can all create more waste due to celebrating the season.
Examples of extra waste and bins you may need over Easter include for:
- Food waste – many people eat out at restaurants for a traditional Sunday roast over Easter, which can lead to more food waste, as well as sales of hot cross buns and Easter eggs. Check your bookings and ensure you’ve got enough food waste bins to cope.
- Packaging waste – ordering more ingredients to create seasonal Easter dishes can mean more packaging waste. Even if you simply give out Easter eggs to your staff in an office, all those cardboard boxes need to be disposed of and should be recycled.
- Decorations – shops, offices, cafes, and many other businesses put up spring decorations to celebrate Easter. After the long weekend, you’ll need to recycle these where possible, often using cardboard or dry mixed recycling bins.
Ways to manage domestic
waste at Easter
The Easter period can also affect household bin collections with changes to domestic bin collection days. Your local council or authority should contact you about any changes to your regular bin days. You should also be able to check online on your local council website by entering your postcode – or give them a call.
If you’re celebrating Easter at home then you might find you also create some extra waste. You can recycle most waste in your household recycling bins – such as cardboard boxes and foil from Easter eggs (as long as it’s clean and dry), and any Easter cards. Dead flowers can be put in your garden waste bin normally.
The long weekend is a common time to think about a spring clean thanks to having a couple of extra days off work for many. You might consider taking some waste to the tip but recycling centre opening times over Easter can also change. Check with your local household waste recycling centre (HWRC) before you load up the car.
Are recycling centres open on
Easter Sunday and Monday?
Recycling centre Easter opening hours vary depending on the site. Many are still open on Easter Sunday and Monday, but they may open later and close earlier. Some HWRCs close on bank holidays. Find the details for your local recycling centre and check their Easter weekend opening hours online.
Your local council or authority should make it clear whether the recycling centre is open over Easter or not. They may list alternative HWRCs and their opening hours if your nearest one is closed. If you’re unsure, give them a call or send an email.
Easter waste guides
Find out more about how much waste we create at Easter and ways to celebrate sustainably this year in our expert guides that cover Easter waste:
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Easter Waste Facts
Every year eight million Easter eggs are uneaten and end up in the bin. Eggsplore more easter facts about the UK including how much waste it creates.
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How to Have a Low Waste Easter
Use these Easter recycling tips, facts, and ideas for a sustainable holiday. Find out how to have a low waste Easter at home and work in this guide.
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Recycling Easter Egg Packaging – is it Easy?
The UK buys between 80 and 90 million Easter eggs every year in all sorts of packaging. Find out how easy recycling Easter egg packaging is in this guide.
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