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Christmas bin collection dates and recycling tips

Christmas and New Year bin collection dates 2024-25

Your bin collections days will change over the Christmas and New Year holidays. The revised collection dates are shown below.

Make sure your bins or waste containers are on the boundary of your property by 7am on the day of your collection.

Normal collection date Revised collection date
Monday 23 December No change
Tuesday 24 December No change
Wednesday 25 December Friday 27 December
Thursday 26 December Saturday 28 December
Friday 27 December Monday 30 December
Monday 30 December Tuesday 31 December
Tuesday 31 December Thursday 2 January
Wednesday 1 January Friday 3 January
Thursday 2 January Saturday 4 January
Friday 3 January Monday 6 January
Monday 6 January Tuesday 7 January
Tuesday 7 January Wednesday 8 January
Wednesday 8 January Thursday 9 January
Thursday 9 January Friday 10 January
Friday 10 January Saturday 11 January

Collections will return to normal on Monday 13 January 2025.

Every house will receive a bin hanger which lists the changes to collection dates over the Christmas and New Year period.

Garden waste collections

There will be no garden waste collections between 30 December and 11 January.

If you are signed up for garden waste collections, you can leave real Christmas trees out for collection when services resume from 13 January.

Get updates on service disruption

Check our website and social media for details of any disruption to waste collection services over the Christmas and New Year period.

You can sign up to receive free text and email alerts here.

Where to put your Christmas waste

Remember that additional recycling can be placed next to your recycling bins in a cardboard or plastic box on your collection day. You can also take items to your nearest recycling centre.

Item Households Flats
Advent calendar - plastic insert Grey mixed recycling bin Green bin
Advent calendar - cardboard outer Grey mixed recycling bin Green bin
Batteries Some supermarkets offer a used battery collection scheme, or take them to a recycling centre
Baubles Purple bin, or pass them on for re-use Black bin
Biscuit tins Grey mixed recycling bin Green bin
Christmas cards Purple bin, or re-use as gift tags next year Black bin or re-use as gift tags next year
Christmas crackers Most crackers must go into the purple bin due to mixture of materials (e.g. foil, ribbon, snap etc.) Black bin, due to mixture of materials (e.g. foil, ribbon, snap etc.)
Christmas lights Recycling centre Recycling centre
Christmas tree (artificial) Recycling centre Recycling centre
Christmas tree (real) Next to brown bin if you subscribe to garden waste collections, or at recycling centres or some garden centres Recycling centre or collection points at garden centres
Electrical items Recycling centre  
Food waste Food caddy
Kitchen towels/paper napkins Purple bin Black bin
Party hats (card only, without glitter or trimmings) Grey mixed recycling bin Green bin
Party poppers Purple bin Black bin
Plastic sweet tubs and tins Great for storage, or recycle them in your grey mixed recycling bin Green bin
Polystyrene Purple bin Black bin
Tinsel Purple bin Black bin
Toys Charity shop, recycling centre or purple bin Charity shop, recycling centre or black bin
Wrapping paper - plain brown or printed paper, no foil or metallic effect Grey mixed recycling bin Green bin
Wrapping paper - with foil, glitter or plastic coating Re-use, or purple bin Black bin

For additional information you can also check our ‘What goes in my bins and box’ pages for houses and flats.

Bad weather

At this time of year as temperatures drop the contents of your bins can become frozen. Our crews will attempt to empty frozen bins but sometimes the contents can become stuck.

To avoid your bin not being emptied, please:  

  • Check the lid of your bin will open before collection is due
  • If you have a lot of garden waste, do not squash it into the bin
  • Loosen the waste by sliding a spade between the contents and the side of the bin
  • If possible, store your bin in a slightly warmer place, against a wall or inside a garage or shed for example.

Crews will leave a notice if your bin has not been emptied as a result of being frozen.