Changes to refuse and recycling collections over Christmas
Published on 6th December 2018

With Christmas approaching, plans are in place for Cheltenham’s waste and recycling collections over the busy festive season.
Residents are reminded that their usual day for collections will change during the Christmas period.
Cheltenham Borough Council’s waste and recycling collection service provider, Ubico Ltd, will be making normal collections up to and including Monday 24 December. The crews will not be working on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 December and will also be on holiday on Tuesday 1 January 2017. As a consequence, there will be changes in collection days until the normal schedule resumes on 14 January.
The collection days will change as follows: (please note that crews will be working on three Saturdays - 30 December, 6 January and 13 January – to catch up.)
Christmas and New Year waste collection changes:
Normal collection day |
Revised collection day |
Monday 24 December (Christmas Eve) |
Normal collections |
Tuesday 25 December (Christmas Day) |
Thursday 27 December |
Wednesday 26 December (Boxing Day) |
Friday 28 December |
Thursday 27 December |
Saturday 29 December |
Friday 28 December |
Monday 31 December |
Monday 31 December |
Wednesday 2 January |
Tuesday 1 January (New Year's Day) |
Thursday 3 January |
Wednesday 2 January |
Friday 4 January |
Thursday 3 January |
Saturday 5 January |
Friday 4 January |
Monday 7 January |
Monday 7 January |
Tuesday 8 January |
Tuesday 8 January |
Wednesday 9 January |
Wednesday 9 January |
Thursday 10 January |
Thursday 10 January |
Friday 11 January |
Friday 11 January |
Saturday 12 January |
Monday 14 January - normal collections resume |
Collections may be made at different times so residents are advised to present their bins, boxes, bags and caddies by 7am on the revised day of collection. The collection schedule will return to normal on Monday 14 January.
Residents are encouraged to recycle as much as they can throughout the festive season.
Christmas cards
Provided they do not contain foil or glitter decoration, Christmas cards can be put into the blue cardboard bag, recycled at the cardboard banks at bring sites around the town or taken to the Swindon Road recycling centre.
Wrapping paper
Wrapping paper which does not contain foil or plastics can be put into your kerbside recycling boxes for recycling. However wrapping paper made from foil or plastics cannot be placed in to the kerbside recycling box as unfortunately they cannot be recycled.
Cardboard gift boxes should be placed in the blue cardboard bag.
Swindon Road recycling centre
Residents can also take their recycling, particularly bulky cardboard, to the recycling centre which will be open for most of the holiday period.
Centre opening times:
Date |
Opening hours |
Monday 24 December - Christmas Eve |
7.30am - 4pm |
Tuesday 25 December - Christmas Day |
Closed |
Wednesday 26 December - Boxing Day |
Closed |
Thursday 27 December |
Normal hours (7.30am - 6.30pm) |
Friday 28 December |
Normal hours (7.30am - 6.30pm) |
Saturday 29 December |
Normal hours (7.30am - 4pm) |
Sunday 30 December |
Normal hours (9am - 1pm) |
Monday 31 December - New Year's Eve |
7.30am - 4pm |
Tuesday 1 January - New Year's Day |
Closed |
Wednesday 2 January |
Normal hours (8.30am - 6.30pm) |
Councillor Chris Coleman, cabinet member for clean and green environment said: “Christmas is a time when lots of extra waste and recycling is generated, with extra food, bottles, packaging and unwanted gadgets and toys being accumulated. Many of these items can easily be recycled and don’t need to go into general waste. The kerbside boxes take a wide variety of items and the household recycling centre, which will be open throughout most of the Christmas period, takes even more materials.’’
Despite best efforts to recycle, there may be a build-up of non-recyclable waste so the council will be allowing a ‘side waste amnesty’ for every household’s first full collection after Christmas Day. Residents can leave out additional amounts of non-recyclable waste in bin liners next to their wheeled bin.
Excellent recipes for leftover turkey and other seasonal food can be found at online at Love Food Hate Waste.
Find out more information online about the council’s recycling service.
For press enquiries contact: Laura Carter, communications officer, telephone 01242 264154, email: communications@cheltenham.gov.uk
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