No changes to refuse and recycling collection days this Christmas and New Year

Our operatives will be working on all bank holidays - including Monday 27 December, Tuesday 28 December and Monday 3 January - to collect your waste and recycling. Residents are asked to put their waste and recycling out on their usual collection days.

At this time of year, many households produce more waste and recycling from wrapping paper, cards and other gift packaging. You can recycle these materials yourself at home, or by using our waste and recycling services.

If you choose to visit your local recycling centre or use the kerbside collection service, please also remember to follow the guidance for safely disposing your waste during the current coronavirus pandemic.

This year, as detailed below, refuse, recycling and food collections will follow their normal schedule over the Christmas and New Year period with no planned disruptions to the service. Please note that in some areas refuse and recycling collections take place as early as 7am so please have your rubbish presented at that time.

Christmas and New Year waste and recycling collection schedule

Normal collection day	Revised collection day
Monday 27 December (bank holiday)	No change - normal collection
Tuesday 28 December (bank holiday)	No change - normal collection
Wednesday 29 December	Normal collection
Thursday 30 December	Normal collection
Friday 31 December	Normal collection
Monday 3 January (bank holiday)	No change - normal collection
Tuesday 4 January	Normal collection

Below are the Christmas dates and opening times for the Swindon Road recycling centre.

Recycling centre opening hours over Christmas/New Year

Date	Opening hours
Thursday 23 December	Normal opening hours (7.30am - 6.30pm)
Friday 24 December - Christmas Eve	7.30am - 4pm
Saturday 25 December - Christmas Day	Closed
Sunday 26 December - Boxing Day	Closed
Monday 27 December (bank holiday)	9am - 1pm
Tuesday 28 December (bank holiday)	9am - 1pm
Wednesday 29 December	Normal opening hours (7.30am - 6.30pm)
Thursday 30 December	Normal opening hours (7.30am - 6.30pm)
Friday 31 December - New Year's Eve	7.30am - 4pm
Saturday 1 January - New Year's Day	Closed
Sunday 2 January	Normal opening hours (9am - 1pm)
Monday 3 January (bank holiday)	9am - 1pm
Tuesday 4 January	Normal opening hours (7.30am - 6.30pm)

Recycling christmas waste

Wrapping paper and cards

Wrapping paper or Christmas cards made from foil, glitter or plastics cannot be placed in to the kerbside recycling box as unfortunately they cannot be recycled. Residents are welcome to place paper/cardboard based wrapping paper and cards which do not contain foil, glitter or plastics into their boxes for recycling.

Coffee pods

Coffee pods can now be collected at the kerbside so if you have a coffee machine or are lucky enough to get one this Christmas then please recycle these as part of your kerbside collection. More about the scheme can be found by going to our dedicated page – Podback – coffee pod recycling

Recycling Christmas trees

You can recycle your real Christmas trees at any of the following drop off points:

• Swindon Road Recycling Centre – anytime during opening hours.
• From 3 to the 17 January 2022, locations around Cheltenham where trees will be collected and recycled:

1. Cheltenham Racecourse – New Barn Lane
2. Cheltenham Football Club – Whaddon Road
3. Old Patesians Rugby Club - Everest Road
4. Cheltenham B&Q – Hatherley Lane

Please note that Christmas tree drop off points will have a designated area marked off with cones and a sign. Please only use these areas to deposit your real Christmas trees.

If you are a garden waste customer leave your tree out with your garden waste bin on your first collection after 16 January 2022 and it will be collected. If you are not a garden waste customer, Ubico Ltd will collect Christmas trees from 17 January 2021 from the kerbside. Please remember garden waste collections will not be undertaken between 17 December 2021 and 16 January 2022.

Find out more about recycling at Christmas.

Cllr Iain Dobie, cabinet member for clean and green environment, said: “During Christmas time, extra waste can build in our bins with excess packaging from gifts, wrapping paper and cards. Many of these items can be recycled or even used again. Of course some items are non-recyclable and will have to go into the general waste, but if we can, let’s remember to recycle much as possible.”

Food waste can also build over the Christmas period, so please remember to try and use up any leftovers with these helpful food hacks from Love Food Hate Waste.

Find out more information about the council’s waste and recycling services.

For press enquiries, please contact: communications, 01242 264231 [email protected]