Christmas Recycling & Refuse

Here's all you need to know about Christmas & New Year Re-cycling and Waste Collections.

Waste and recycling collections

Rubbish and recycling collection days will change for some households during the Christmas and New Year.

If your collection day is a Monday or Tuesday, it will stay the same over Christmas this year.

There will be no collections on Wednesday 25 December, Thursday 26 December, or Wednesday 1 January.

Please check your collection days so you don’t miss it.

Garden waste

Garden waste collections will be paused from Wednesday 25 December to Tuesday 7 January. The Garden Waste collection service will restart on Wednesday 8 January.

Clinical waste collections

Clinical waste collections will follow the same revised schedule as recycling and rubbish.

Recycling centre opening times

Recycling centres will be open during their usual winter hours, except on Wednesday 25 December, Thursday 26 December, and Wednesday 1 January.

Disposing of wrapping paper and Christmas trees

Wrapping paper

Recyclable wrapping paper can go in your black recycling box, but do not put it in bin bags. There will be special areas for wrapping paper at recycling centres, so do not put it in the cardboard skips.

Check if wrapping paper can be recycled, try the scrunch test:

1. Scrunch the paper into a tight ball.
2. Open your hand to see if the paper stays scrunched together or bounces back open.
3. If the paper stays scrunched in a ball, then it can be recycled.
4. If it bounces back open, then it likely contains foil or plastic and it cannot be recycled.

Christmas trees

If you subscribe to garden waste service, please leave your decoration-free tree by your garden waste bin for collection, as long as it is not taller than 6ft.

If you do not have a garden waste subscription, or your tree is taller than 6ft, please take it to your local recycling centre or put it in your home compost.

You can also check the Just Helping website for local Christmas tree collection services.