Festive bin collections changes

There will be temporary changes to rubbish, recycling and food waste collections over the festive period across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP).

We advise residents to check and take note of their revised collection date(s) and to have their bins out by 5am on the day to avoid any missed collections this Christmas and New Year.

There will be no bin collections on:

• Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December
• Boxing Day, Friday 26 December
• New Year's Day, Thursday 1 January 2026.

Catch-up collections are scheduled to take place from Monday 29 December through Saturday 17 January. Please refer to the information below for your revised household Christmas collection.

Your normal collection	Your collection will change to
Thursday 25 December	Monday 29 December
Friday 26 December	Tuesday 30 December
Monday 29 December	Wednesday 31 December
Tuesday 30 December	Friday 2 January
Wednesday 31 December	Saturday 3 January
Thursday 1 January	Monday 5 January
Friday 2 January	Tuesday 6 January
Monday 5 January	Wednesday 7 January
Tuesday 6 January	Thursday 8 January
Wednesday 7 January	Friday 9 January
Thursday 8 January	Saturday 10 January
Friday 9 January	Monday 12 January
Monday 12 January	Tuesday 13 January
Tuesday 13 January	Wednesday 14 January
Wednesday 14 January	Thursday 15 January
Thursday 15 January	Friday 16 January
Friday 16 January	Saturday 17 January

We understand households have extra waste over Christmas, but our teams are unable to collect additional bags of rubbish that are left next to, or on top of your bins.

Extra waste can be recycled or disposed of at one of your local BCP Recycling Centres, located at Millhams, Longham; Wilverley Road, Christchurch; or Nuffield, Poole.

Skips, bin deliveries, and bulky waste collections will not operate during this period.

All recycling centres are open 9am-4pm daily, but there will be reduced opening hours and festive closures on:

• Christmas Eve, Wednesday 24 December (closed from 1pm)
• Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December (closed)
• Boxing Day, Friday 26 December (closed)
• New Year’s Eve, Wednesday 31 December (closed from 1pm)
• New Year's Day, Thursday 1 January 2025 (closed)

You can also take your real Christmas tree to one of our recycling centres for composting.

Alternatively, in many locations, local charities including Diverse Abilities, Julia’s House and Lewis-Manning Hospice Care can collect your real Christmas tree for a small donation after the festive period. Check if they are collecting in your area and book early to avoid disappointment.  

If you're signed up to our garden waste service for 2026, you can cut up your real Christmas tree and place it in your garden waste bin ready for the first collection from the end of January 2026.

Between December and early January, UK households collectively produce up to 30% more waste than at any other time of year. BCP Council is encouraging all residents to think green this holiday season.

Plan ahead and make small changes to reduce waste this Christmas. Choose gifts with minimal packaging, buy loose vegetables, avoid disposable tableware, opt for rechargeable batteries, and remember to recycle bottles, tins, and wrappers.

Cllr Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy, said: “Christmas and New Year are a time for rest and relaxation, and no-one wants to the stress of missing a bin collection. As there will be temporary changes to our collection schedules, please, plan ahead, and let our teams do the rest.

“Our commitment to reducing environmental impact continues throughout the Christmas period, so we encourage residents to recycle wherever possible and make use of reuse facilities for unwanted items.

“I would like to say a huge thank you to our dedicated refuse teams for tirelessly working throughout the year and especially during most of the festive period to keep our homes and streets clean. Please support them by recycling where possible and ensuring your bins are placed out on time.” 

If you run a business in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole and use the Council’s commercial waste services, please note commercial waste collections will not be operating on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Catch up collections will take place on Friday 26 December (Boxing Day), Saturday 27 December and Saturday 3 January.

The commercial weighbridge at Poole Recycling Centre will be closed from 24 December until 5 January.

The commercial weighbridge at Bournemouth Recycling Centre will be open until 12.30pm on 24 December, then closed until 5 January.

Unwanted serviceable items can be donated to charity shops, or via our recycling centres to the ‘new to you’ facility – a reuse shop full of affordable reclaimed items. Doing this early on could help create a great Christmas present opportunity for someone.

Visit the bins, waste and recycling section of our website for information about bin collections, recycling centre opening times and commercial waste collections over Christmas and New Year.