Christmas waste and recycling collection dates
We are running a revised collection service over the Christmas and New Year period and your bin collection dates will change.
Remember to put your bins or boxes out by 7am on the day of your collection or the night before.
| Normal collection day | Revised collection day |
|---|---|
| Monday 23 December | Saturday 21 December |
| Tuesday 24 December | Monday 23 December |
| Wednesday 25 December | Tuesday 24 December |
| Thursday 26 December | Friday 27 December |
| Friday 27 December | Saturday 28 December |
| Normal collection day | Revised collection day |
|---|---|
| Monday 30 December | No Change |
| Tuesday 31 December | No Change |
| Wednesday 1 January | Thursday 2 January |
| Thursday 2 January | Friday 3 January |
| Friday 3 January | Saturday 4 January |
Collections return to normal on Monday 6 January 2025.
Excess waste
We will collect up to two additional sacks of household waste with your first black bin collection after 25 December whilst we operate the Christmas schedule.
If you have extra recycling, such as glass, cardboard, cans and plastic you can leave it out for collection with your recycling (please don't leave cardboard in the rain as it is not recyclable). Please use a suitable box or container and not black sacks.
Alternatively, extra waste or recycling can be taken to Stevenage recycling centre.
Please note that the recycling centre is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and News Year's Day.
Real Christmas trees
You can recycle real Christmas trees in your brown bin or place it by the side of your bin on your collection day, up until the end of January. Make sure to remove all decorations from your tree.
Christmas cards / wrapping paper
Plain Christmas cards and wrapping paper can be recycled in your blue box. However, cards heavily decorated with glitter and foil or glittery wrapping paper cannot be recycled and should go in your black bin. Some supermarkets also offer Christmas card recycling points. Alternatively, cut up old Christmas cards to turn them into gift tags to reuse next year!
Food waste
All food waste, including meat/fish bones and plate scrapings can be placed in your brown bin for recycling. To reduce food waste, only buy what you need and turn any leftovers you do have into tasty new meals. Check the Love Food, Hate Waste website for ideas and tips on what to do with your Christmas leftovers.
Unwanted gifts?
If you receive unwanted gifts for Christmas, or have a post-Christmas clear out, why not sell or donate instead of throwing away? As long as items are in good condition they could still be enjoyed by someone else.
Fly tipping
If you have waste to get rid of make sure you always use a registered waste carrier. We all have a duty of care to ensure our waste is disposed of correctly. If it’s your waste, it’s your responsibility. You could face a fine if your waste ends up fly tipped by someone else. To find out more and follow the S.C.R.A.P code.
Top tips
Hertfordshire County Council have some top tips to recycle your leftovers and keep Hertfordshire green this Christmas.