Introducing LoopedIn Councils – Formerly Impact Apps.
Picture Christmas evening across your municipality. The recycling bin is already overflowing with cardboard boxes, ribbon, and half-torn wrapping paper. There’s a cluster of empty champagne bottles sitting near the sink, soft plastics from toy packaging scattered under the tree, and someone has confidently thrown glittery paper into the recycling — not realising it can contaminate an entire truckload.
The turkey leftovers won’t fit in the fridge, and someone asks the inevitable question: “When’s the next bin day…?”
Residents want to do the right thing — but during the holidays, they’re distracted, out of routine, and unsure where to look for accurate information. And when the guidance isn’t clear or at their fingertips, it’s councils who bear the cost through contamination, missed bins, and customer service pressure.
The data tells the same story. According to The Australia Institute’s 2024 Christmas Waste Poll, Australians:
Use over 150,000 km of wrapping paper each Christmas
Throw out around 25% of the food purchased for Christmas meals
And nearly 47% of Australians admit they don’t consider waste at all when choosing gifts
Recycling behaviour drops, too:
Only 50% of wrapping paper ends up in recycling, while 15% goes straight to landfill
One in four people reuse wrapping paper — but most still treat it as single-use without guidance
Combined with big increases in glass bottles, cardboard, soft plastics and packaging, councils see household waste increase drastically over the holidays. With this in mind, clear communication isn’t just helpful — it’s essential.
For many councils, December brings the sharpest increase in kerbside waste. Public holidays shift collection schedules, recycling bins overflow with packaging, and contamination spikes as residents fall out of routine. With households travelling, hosting, and celebrating, even residents who usually recycle well find themselves guessing.
The scale of the increase is significant. Australians generate up to 30% more waste over the holidays, driven by food scraps, wrapping paper, packaging, bottles, cans and e-waste. Recycling systems feel this pressure. Only half of wrapping paper ends up in recycling, and materials like glittered paper, ribbons, soft plastics and polystyrene frequently contaminate loads. For councils, this means extra processing costs, higher rejection rates and a wave of residents seeking guidance at the exact moment the system is under strain.
Proactive communication in the weeks leading up to Christmas can prevent many of the issues that surface once celebrations begin. When residents receive clear, repeated reminders about bin-day changes, they’re far less likely to miss collections or overload their bins. Digital calendars and timely notifications help cut through the noise of a busy season.
The lead-up to Christmas is also the best time to influence behaviour. Simple reminders to avoid glittery wrapping paper, reuse gift bags, and check local CDS return points help residents make more sustainable choices ahead of time.
An A–Z recycling guide can be especially useful, giving residents a quick place to check what to do with those less common holiday items — from foil and soft plastics to decorations and toy packaging.
Food waste education also makes a difference. With festive meals creating large volumes of leftovers, guidance on planning portions, storing food and using FOGO services helps reduce the amount of waste heading to landfill.
Once Christmas arrives, waste volumes increase almost instantly, and residents need guidance in real time. Well-timed reminders on Christmas Eve or Boxing Day can prevent common mistakes — such as putting foil paper, ribbons, or soft plastics into kerbside recycling. When these reminders are short, clear and practical, they can stop contamination before it happens.
Overflow is another predictable challenge. Councils can reduce frustration by explaining what to do with extra cardboard or glass, which drop-off points remain open, and whether additional recycling services are available. When residents know their options, they’re less likely to leave waste beside bins or fill recycling with overflow material.
Clear communication during the holiday period also reduces call-centre pressure. Direct links to updated waste collection calendars, recycling drop-off maps, FAQs and A-Z recycling guides help residents find answers quickly, freeing staff to focus on operational needs.
January brings its own challenges — from Christmas tree disposal to leftover packaging and the additional wave of bottles and waste from New Year’s Eve.
Councils can prevent this by sending simple, timely updates. Clear instructions for disposing of natural and artificial trees, reminders about waste drop-off points, and guidance on managing leftover glass bottles, cardboard or polystyrene go a long way. A short “New Year recycling refresh” also helps residents re-establish good habits as normal routines return.
Timely January communication helps prevent holiday habits from spilling into the new year and could inspire sustainability-focused resolutions.
When communication is early, clear and well-timed, councils see immediate benefits: fewer missed bins, lower contamination rates, reduced customer enquiries and smoother operations for waste teams already facing seasonal pressure. Residents feel more supported and make better decisions at the bin, reducing the strain on council services and improving recycling outcomes across the community.
Effective communication doesn’t just support residents — it protects resources, lowers costs and builds a more resilient waste system when demand is highest.
How can councils reduce confusion around public holiday bin changes?
By communicating early and repeating key information across multiple channels. When residents receive reminders well ahead of time — and again just before collections occur — they’re far less likely to miss changes or overload their bins. Personalised calendars, notifications and waste drop-off maps help keep expectations clear during a period when people are out of routine.
What are the most common holiday contamination issues?
Glittery or foil wrapping paper, soft plastics from toy packaging, ribbons, broken decorations, batteries and leftover food scraps often end up in the wrong bin. These items increase significantly over Christmas and can contaminate otherwise good recycling loads if residents aren’t given clear guidance.
How can councils encourage residents to manage extra glass, cans and packaging?Reminding residents about local Container Deposit Scheme (10c) return points helps divert bottles and cans from kerbside bins during a peak usage period. Clear information about cardboard drop-offs, additional recycling services or transfer station hours also helps residents handle overflow responsibly.
If you’re planning ahead for the new year, now is a great time to explore tools that help your council share accurate updates, reduce contamination, and ease pressure on your customer service team.
Book a free demo to see how LoopedIn Councils supports smarter communication and more efficient waste services during the holidays, as well as all year round.