Residents in the West London borough of Hillingdon are being advised of temporary changes to their rubbish and recycling collection services over the Christmas and New Year period. The adjustments, which will see some collections brought forward and others delayed, are set to last until Monday, 5 January.
Revised Collection Dates for the Festive Period
The council has confirmed a series of specific alterations to its usual schedule. If your collection was originally scheduled for Christmas Eve, it will now be collected one day earlier on Tuesday, 23 December. For those whose bins are normally emptied on Christmas Day itself, which falls on a Thursday, the new collection date will be Wednesday, 24 December.
Collections planned for Boxing Day, Friday 26 December, will experience a one-day delay, with crews instead working on Saturday, 27 December. The council has stated that all collections scheduled from Monday, 29 December through to New Year's Day will operate as normal without any changes.
However, as New Year's Day is a bank holiday, any collections due on Thursday, 1 January will be postponed until Friday, 2 January. Consequently, if your usual collection day is Friday, 2 January, it will be pushed back to Saturday, 3 January. All services are expected to return to their regular timetables from Monday, 5 January.
Householders are reminded to present their bins and sacks at the edge of their property, near the front gate, by 6am on their revised collection day. The council asks that waste is not placed on the pavement. Separate arrangements are in place for flats and business premises.
Free Real Christmas Tree Recycling Service
In a separate festive initiative, Hillingdon Council will operate a free recycling service for real Christmas trees. The service will run from Monday, 5 January, until Friday, 16 January.
Residents living in houses should place their tree at their property boundary where it is clearly visible to collection crews by 6am on their scheduled collection day. To check the specific collection date for your address, you are advised to visit the Hillingdon Council website.
For those living in flats, a booked collection is required. This can be arranged by emailing wastesupervisor@hillingdon.gov.uk. Trees should be placed next to the communal bin store or collection point, ensuring they do not block access to the bins. Trees must not be placed inside the communal bins themselves.
Important Guidelines for Tree Disposal
The council has issued clear instructions to ensure the smooth running of the tree collection service. All decorations, tinsel, and pots must be removed from the tree before it is put out for collection. Furthermore, any tree taller than six feet must be cut in half to facilitate handling.
For unwanted artificial trees, residents cannot use the free recycling service. Instead, artificial trees should be taken to one of the council's civic amenity sites (waste and recycling centres) or disposed of via the paid bulky waste collection service, which costs between £35 and £85.
By following these revised schedules and guidelines, Hillingdon residents can help ensure the festive period runs smoothly for both households and the council's waste collection teams.
