Somerset Council has adjusted bin collection schedules around Christmas 2025 and New Year to account for bank holidays, ensuring residents can manage festive waste effectively. These changes affect Thursday and Friday collections, while Monday to Wednesday rounds proceed normally. Recycling sites close on key holidays, prompting tips for handling extra wrapping paper, cards, and trees.
Collection Schedule Changes
Somerset Council skips collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, shifting affected rounds to nearby weekend days. Residents with Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday collections see no disruptions during the festive period.​
The revised dates appear in this table for clarity:​
Collections resume normal schedules the following week.​
Recycling Centre Closures
All Somerset Council recycling sites shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, operating under usual winter hours otherwise. Residents can drop off real Christmas trees in garden waste skips at open sites. Extra wrapping paper finds dedicated drop-off points at centres, separate from card skips.​
Garden Waste Pause
Garden waste collections halt from Thursday 25 December through Wednesday 7 January, restarting Thursday 8 January. Subscribers may place Christmas trees under 2 meters tall next to their bin on the first post-pause collection. This break aligns with lower demand during winter.​
Festive Recycling Tips
Council encourages maximising kerbside recycling to ease bin pressure over holidays. Eligible items include plain wrapping paper, foil-free cards, and scrunched sweet foils in the bright blue bag.​
- Plain wrapping paper (no foil, plastic, or glitter) goes with paper recycling, loose not bagged.​
- Christmas cards without embellishments recycle with cardboard.​
- Large chocolate tubs fit in the bright blue bag for plastics.​
- Foil trays and sweets scrunch together for blue bag recycling.​
- Squash or flatten cans, bottles, and boxes to fit more in recycling crates.​
Real trees go to recycling sites or garden bins post-pause.​
Clinical and Special Waste
Clinical waste follows the same revised schedule as recycling and rubbish rounds. No separate changes apply, so Thursday and Friday subscribers use the shifted weekend dates. Residents should confirm via postcode checker for exact timings.​
How to Check Your Dates
Residents access personalised schedules through the Somerset Council website’s postcode tool. Enter your address to view or download a printable calendar covering the festive shifts. The Christmas and New Year updates page lists all details alongside recycling centre hours.​
Preparing for Changes
Put bins out early morning on revised days and leave them until emptied, as crews work extended routes. Avoid black bags for recyclables to prevent contamination. Overfilled bins from festivities may require multiple trips to sites once reopened. Local partnerships emphasise these adjustments prevent missed pick-ups during high-waste periods
Nikhita Jose is a journalist and content writer covering local news, community affairs, and public interest stories in Somerset. She focuses on clear, accurate reporting and brings a thoughtful, reader-first approach to regional journalism.