Christmas recycling and rubbish collections

There will be some changes to recycling and rubbish collections over the Christmas and New Year Bank holidays.

Date changes to Christmas and New Year recycling and rubbish collections

There are some changes to recycling and rubbish collections over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.

Black rubbish sacks and clear recycling sacks

The table below shows how collection days will change and when we plan to carry out collections.

We can collect extra recycling and rubbish from affected households. 

Glass box or communal bin

The table below shows how collection days will change and when we plan to carry out collections.

Garden waste collections

As usual, garden waste collections will be paused for two weeks from late December. This will be from Monday 23 December to Sunday 5 January. Garden waste collections will resume as usual from Monday 6 January. 

You can take extra recycling and rubbish to one of our community recycling banks across the district, or you can take your rubbish and recycling to one of the tips that are run by Hampshire County Council.

Check your collection day

If you are not sure when your normal collection day is, you can check using our tool below. 

Find my collection day

Christmas tree recycling drop-off points

Take your real Christmas tree to one of our drop-off points across the district, and we will recycle it.

Our teams will recycle your tree by chipping it to create mulch. The mulch will be used locally to help keep moisture around plant roots, and to prevent weeds from growing.

Drop-off points will be open at the following locations from Tuesday 31 December to Tuesday 14 January: 

• Blackfield: Gang Warily Community Centre car park, SO45 1GA 
• Brockenhurst: Brookley Road car park, SO42 7RA 
• Burley: Burley coach park (next to car park), BH24 4DJ
• Fordingbridge: A338 slip road car park, SP6 1AW 
• Hythe: New Road car park, SO45 6BP 
• Lymington: Bath Road car park, SO41 3SE 
• Lyndhurst: Village Centre car park, SO43 7BF 
• Milford-on-Sea: Hurst Road East overflow car park (by Sturt Pond), SO41 0PY 
• New Milton: Crossmead Avenue car park, BH25 6NF 
• Ringwood: The Furlong long stay car park (follow signs to the designated area), BH24 1AT 
• Totton: Rumbridge Street car park SO40 9EA 

Please only drop off real Christmas trees and remove any decorations first, such as lights or wreaths. Place trees as far back as possible in the fenced bay.

Other wood and rubbish should not be left at the sites. 

Last year, we recycled over 5,263 of residents' real Christmas trees. Thank you to everyone who dropped off their trees, it all makes a difference.

Any trees left in car parks not on this list, or by litter bins, will be treated as fly-tipping.

Recycling over Christmas and New Year

Tips for recycling over Christmas and New Year:

• most gift wrapping paper cannot be recycled in Hampshire as it contains some plastic and foil
• plain brown wrapping paper is a great choice for presents and can go in your clear recycling sack
• reuse greeting cards to create gifts tags next year, or recycle
• please remove any decorations from cards or paper, such as ribbons or sticky tape
• you can recycle cardboard packaging, remove any labels, staples or tape, and break down into large pieces before recycling - please consider taking large amounts to a community recycling bank or the tip
• metal sweet and biscuit tins can be reused or recycled
• plastic containers cannot currently be recycled in Hampshire - if you have plastic sweet and biscuit containers, please reuse or add to your rubbish sack
• all types of empty plastic bottles can go in your clear recycling sack, including milk, toiletries, and cleaning bottles 
• please remove food and drink from items to make sure they can be recycled, and check they are clean and dry

Find out more about household recycling.

Visit Hampshire County Council's Smart Living website for tips on how to reduce waste locally, and save money.