Warning issued to anyone throwing wrapping paper in their bins on Christmas Day

A bin man has issued a warning to people ahead of Christmas Day, revealing what 'cannot' be recycled despite it being a common occurrence.

With Christmas comes a whole lot of waste, from gift bags to wrapping paper, bows and ribbons - there's a lot to unpack.

And one bin man has posed the question: "Do you know what goes in what bin over the festive period?"

While some may assume that the answer is simple, you may be surprised.

The man has urged people to really put the environment first this Christmas, and do research before putting items in different bins.

Bin man Danny, using St Helens Borough Council's TikTok account, said: "Wrapping paper, gift bags and Christmas cards CANNOT go in your green or blue recycling bags here in St Helens borough.

"Most contain foil, plastic, glitter and glue - so please pop them into your brown general waste bin!"

However, Danny was quick to remind people in the comments that every council has 'different' guidance.

Explaining the non-recyclability of certain items, he added: "It's the glitter and foil on them. If it's just plain old brown paper then that's fine.

"Each council is different though - it's just how it works here in St Helens so best to check with your council."

And there's a handy little test that can be done to determine whether your wrapping paper can go in the recycling bin or not.

Recycle Now suggests seeing if your paper passes the 'scrunch test' - if it scrunches, it can be recycled.

And the simple method could be very useful for households all over the UK during the festive season.

It's important to note that any sticky tape, ribbons, or bows, should always be removed and disposed of separately - as they cannot be recycled.

But it's not just the packaging that's wasted at Christmas.

Have you ever received an unwanted gift? It turns out you're not alone.

According to a study, each year, the UK spends £700 million on unwanted Christmas gifts.

Worse than this, consumers reportedly throw away approximately £42 million of unwanted presents each year - most of which end up in landfill.

And according to research, only one percent of Christmas presents will still be used six months on from 25 December.

For more information on recycling, Brits can check their local council's guidelines using the Recycle Now Checker here.