Somerset Council has released its updated recycling and rubbish collection schedule for the Christmas and New Year period — and is urging residents to check their dates to avoid missing a pick‑up.
Households with Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday collections will see no changes this year.
However, collections later in the week will move as follows:
Revised collection dates:
- Thursday 25 December → Saturday 27 December 2025
- Friday 26 December 2025 → Sunday 28 December 2025
- Thursday 1 January 2026 → Friday 2 January 2026
- Friday 2 January 2026 → Saturday 3 January 2026
There will be no garden waste collections from Thursday 25 December to Wednesday 7 January. Garden waste services will resume on Thursday 8 January 2026.
All Somerset Council recycling sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, but will operate as normal on all other days. Site locations can be found on the council’s website.
Residents are also being encouraged to recycle as much as possible over the festive period. The council says:
- Real Christmas trees can be taken to any recycling site’s garden waste skip.
- Garden waste subscribers can leave trees under 2m beside their bin on their first collection back.
- Wrapping paper without foil, plastic or glitter can go in the kerbside paper recycling.
- Large plastic chocolate tubs can be recycled in the Bright Blue Bag.
- Christmas cards without foil, plastic or glitter can be recycled with cardboard.
- Foil from sweets can be scrunched together with larger foil pieces or trays for recycling in the Bright Blue Bag.
To save space in recycling boxes, residents are asked to squash, flatten or scrunch items where safe to do so.
Collection days can be checked at any time at www.somerset.gov.uk/collection-days.
