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Christmas bin collections 2026: what to expect and when

No council has published its 2026 Christmas bin dates yet. Here is how last year worked, what the 2026 calendar changes, and how to check yours.

By BinWeek editorial. Last reviewed .

What we know about Christmas 2026

When we checked on 2 October 2026, we could not find a published 2026 Christmas bin schedule on the council pages we looked at. The Christmas pages for Leeds and Sheffield still carried last year's arrangements for 2025/26. Last year Sheffield's notice was published on 19 December 2025, so dates can arrive late. Treat any 2026 date you see on a site that is not your council's with caution.

What we can say with confidence is how the 2026 calendar falls. Christmas Day is on Friday 25 December, and because Boxing Day is a Saturday the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. New Year's Day 2027 is a Friday. A council that skips Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day will therefore push a Friday round, and anything after it, later in the week, and the knock-on effect can reach the following Monday. We will update this guide with each council's dates once they are published.

How last year worked, council by council

These are the 2025/26 arrangements, shown only to illustrate the pattern. They are not 2026 dates.

  • Leeds changed collection days from Sunday 21 December until Sunday 4 January, with crews working through the festive period including Sundays. The service closed only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Normal days returned from Monday 5 January.
  • Sheffield changed days only for households whose usual day was a Wednesday, Thursday or Friday. A collection due on Thursday 25 December moved to Saturday 27 December, Friday 26 December moved to Sunday 28 December, and Thursday 1 January moved to Saturday 3 January.
  • Bradford says on its missed bin page that it does not collect on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day if they fall on a weekday.

The lesson is that there is no national pattern. In Leeds nearly everyone's day moved for two weeks, in Sheffield it moved for some households only, and Bradford simply skips the three days when they fall on a weekday.

Garden waste breaks

Garden waste services often take a longer break than rubbish and recycling. Bradford has already published its garden waste break: there are no collections after 18 December 2026 for four weeks, and they restart on 19 January 2027. If you subscribe to a garden waste service elsewhere, look for a similar pause on your own council's page. Our garden waste guide compares the services we checked.

Getting through the festive week

  • Find your calendar. Use your council's bin day checker and download the calendar, or set a reminder once your council has published its dates.
  • Plan for the extra. Food waste and packaging build up over Christmas, so work out where the overflow will go before the festive week, whether that is the tip or the extra recycling your council allows.
  • Recycle the paper, not the glitter. WRAP suggests the scrunch test: if the paper stays scrunched in a ball it is probably plain paper, and if it springs back it contains plastic. Paper with glitter is best avoided, and ribbons and bows should come off first.
  • Keep batteries out of the bin. Birmingham lists batteries as not accepted in either of its bins and says items on that list, other than asbestos, can be taken to a household recycling centre.
  • Take the overflow to the tip. Leeds said its recycling centres were open each day from 8am to 4pm last Christmas except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Check your own centre's hours for 2026 before you go.

Christmas trees

Real trees are recycled into chippings, according to WRAP, and artificial trees cannot be recycled but can be reused. How you get rid of a real tree depends on where you live: some councils run special collections, some organise drop-off points, and some people take trees to the recycling centre, WRAP says. Leeds pointed people to hospice collections in early January last year instead of a council collection. Check your own council's page, and take the decorations off first.

If a bin is missed

A missed bin in the festive weeks can simply be a delayed round. Wait for the end of the day or a couple of working days, depending on your council, before reporting. Our missed bin guide shows what each council asks.

Common questions

When will my council publish its 2026 Christmas bin dates?

We cannot say, because councils decide for themselves. When we checked on 2 October 2026, the Leeds and Sheffield pages we looked at still carried last year’s arrangements. Last year Leeds sent flyers to every household before the change, so watch for a leaflet, then your council’s website and bin calendar.

Are bins collected on Christmas Day and Boxing Day?

Usually not. Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford all said that collections stop on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, with the rounds due on those days moved to later dates. In 2026 Christmas Day falls on a Friday, with Boxing Day’s bank holiday on Monday 28 December.

What happens to my Christmas tree?

It depends on your council. Last year Leeds pointed people to two hospice collections in January. WRAP says real trees can be chipped for parks, and artificial trees cannot be recycled, though they can be reused. Check whether your own council collects trees at all.

Are the tips open over Christmas?

Last year Leeds kept its household waste recycling centres open each day from 8am to 4pm except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Opening hours are set by each council, so check your own centre's hours for 2026 before you go.

Related guides

Sources

Want your own council’s rules? Find your council.