Collections over Bank Holidays

Your refuse, recycling, food waste and garden waste collections will usually take place on their normal collection day over Bank Holidays.

If there are any changes to collection arrangements, we will advertise these in advance on this webpage and our social media channels.

Please place your bin at the edge of the public highway by 6am on your collection day, or the evening before.

Christmas & New Year 2026/27

Most refuse, recycling and food waste collections will take place as normal over the Christmas and New Year period.

If your normal collection day is Monday to Thursday, your collection will take place as usual.

The revised collections will only affect residents whose normal collection day falls on:

• Friday 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day); and
• Friday 1 January 2027 (New Year's Day).

If your normal collection day is Friday, please check the revised collection dates below:

Please leave your bins out by 6am on the revised collection day.

Garden Waste Collections

The final Garden Waste collection of 2026 will take place on Friday 18 December 2026. Your garden waste bin collection day will not be affected and will continue on your existing schedule.

Collections will resume on Monday 4 January 2027.

Garden Waste subscribers will miss just one scheduled collection only during the Christmas and New Year period.

Christmas Trees

Real Christmas trees can be collected and recycled through our Christmas tree collection service, available during January 2027.

• We will collect Christmas trees from all households until Friday 15 January 2027.

• Present the tree by 6am on your scheduled collection day. You can check the scheduled collection date/s for Christmas trees in your area using our Bin Search tool. Enter your post code or street name and refer to the date listed under 'Garden Waste Bin Day'.

• To help us collect and recycle the large number of Christmas trees presented after the festive period, we ask that residents cut trees over four-feet tall in half.

• Please remove all decorations, tinsel, lights, stands and pots before collection.

• From Monday 18 January until Friday 29 January 2027, Christmas tree collections will continue for Garden Waste subscribers only. Sign up to our Garden Waste Collection Service (Clip & Collect).
• Trees do not need to fit inside your garden waste bin. Please cut trees over four-feet tall in half and leave them by the side of your garden waste bin.

Food Waste

Christmas can generate a lot of extra food waste, from vegetable peelings and leftovers to turkey bones and plate scrapings.

To reduce waste and save money:

• Plan meals carefully and only buy what you need.
• Freeze food where possible.
• Use up leftovers in other meals.
• Recycle all suitable food waste using your weekly food waste collection service.

 Please visit Love Food Hate Waste  for ideas on storing food  and using leftovers .

Recycling

Christmas often brings additional recycling, including cardboard packaging, food tins and drinks cans.

Please remember:

• Flatten cardboard boxes where possible to save space.
• Place paper, cardboard, tins, cans, aerosols and plastic bottles in your blue-lidded recycling bin.
• Place recycling loose in the bin, not in bags.
• Plastic pots, tubs, trays and plastic packaging cannot be collected in our recycling service.

Additional recycling can be taken to local recycling banks if required.

• Empty jars and bottles can go in the glass recycling banks around the Borough.
• Clothes and textiles can be taken to the textile banks.

Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC)

If you have additional household waste following the festive period, you can take it to a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC).

Please note:

• HWRCs are closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January.
• Advance booking is required.

If you're unsure how to dispose of an item, please use our A - Z of Waste guide before contacting us

If you have any queries about disposing of household rubbish please contact us on 01329 236100 or email streetscenesupport@fareham.gov.uk.