Waste and recycling during the 2025 to 2026 festive period

Your kerbside collections will be affected this festive season.

There will be no brown bin or bulky item collections from Friday 19 December 2025 until Monday 12 January 2026.

Put your waste and recycling out on the correct day. Waste and recycling must be out by 7am, our crews work until dusk.

Real Christmas trees can be put out next to your brown bin from Monday 12 January for collection.

Normal collection day Revised collection day What to put out
Monday 22 December No change Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Tuesday 23 December No change 3 Small types of wasteBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Wednesday 24 December No change Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Thursday 25 December Saturday 27 December Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Friday 26 December Monday 29 December Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Monday 29 December Tuesday 30 December Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Tuesday 30 December Wednesday 31 December Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Wednesday 31 December Friday 2 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Thursday 1 January Saturday 3 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Friday 2 January Monday 5 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Monday 5 January Tuesday 6 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Tuesday 6 January Wednesday 7 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Wednesday 7 January Thursday 8 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Thursday 8 January Friday 9 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Friday 9 January Saturday 10 January Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bagsBlack sacks, clear sacks and blue and white reusable bags
Monday 12 January Back to normal

Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bags

Brown bin, black sacks, clear sacks, white and blue reusable bags

Missed collections

Due to the scale of operations, we cannot return for individual missed collections over the New Year period.

If we do not collect your waste, please bring it back inside until your next collection day.

If it snows, services may be cancelled. Please check our Facebook page for updates.

Christmas: top tips

Recycling

If you need more reusable bags, you can order them online or visit your local library or hub.

Order reusable recycling bags online

Real Christmas trees

You can put them next to your brown bin for collection from Monday 12 January 2026.

Wrapping paper

Do the scrunch test: if it scrunches and stays in a ball it is recyclable and you can pop it in your blue bag.

You cannot recycle glitter or foil paper or cards.

Party clean up

Place bottles and cans in your white reusable bag or clear sack.

Wash cans and squash them to fit more in.

Having a clear-out

Donate items that are in good condition to your local charity shop or try and make a bit of extra money by selling them online. 

Find out more about donating reusable items to charity.

Try caddy liners

Buy 26 liners for just £2.50 from your local library to keep your brown bin cleaner until collections resume.

You can click and collect caddy liners online.

Recycle it right

Blue bag: paper and card onlyBlue bag small

In your blue bag please put:

  • greetings cards (without glitter)
  • wrapping paper (without glitter)
  • envelopes
  • cardboard packaging
  • leaflets and catalogues
  • newspapers and magazines.

Please do not put:

  • plastic bags
  • Christmas crackers
  • food waste
  • ribbon and string
  • polystyrene
  • clothing and textiles
  • jars and cans.

White bag: mixed recycling

In your white bag and clear sacks, please put:Clear sack white bag small

  • glass bottles and jars
  • food and drink cans
  • clean metal foil
  • cartons
  • crisp tubes
  • plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
  • empty aerosols.

Please do not put:

  • food waste
  • batteries
  • nappies
  • electricals
  • corks
  • Christmas decorations
  • ribbon and string.

Book a date to have a clear out

Check our Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs) festive period opening times.

You must book your trip to the tip.

There are no limits to how many visits you can book.

Book your HWRC visit online

Fly tipping this festive season

If you think rubbish has been dumped illegally in a public area, report it.

Please tell us:

  • where the fly-tipping is happening or has happened
  • what the rubbish is and the amount of it
  • if known, a description of the person fly-tipping or the registration number of any vehicle that was involved.

Report fly tipping online

Follow us on social media

Please see our Facebook page for updates, top tips and information.

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Find out the latest local environmental news and stay on top of waste and recycling service news this Christmas and New Year by signing up to the Cleaner Medway ebulletin.