Residents across the London Borough of Southwark are being advised of important changes to their regular waste and recycling collection schedules over the upcoming festive period.
Revised Bin Collection Dates for Christmas and New Year
Southwark Council has confirmed that some household bin collections will be delayed by one or two days during the holidays. The local authority has published a full list of revised dates to help households plan accordingly and avoid missed collections.
The specific changes are as follows. If your normal collection day falls on Wednesday, December 25 (Christmas Day), your bins will instead be emptied on Friday, December 27.
For collections scheduled on Thursday, December 26 (Boxing Day), the new collection date will be Saturday, December 28.
The New Year period will also see adjustments. Households with a collection due on Wednesday, January 1 (New Year's Day) should present their bins on Thursday, January 2.
Finally, if your collection is planned for Thursday, January 2, crews will now collect on Friday, January 3.
The council has stated that all collection services will return to their standard schedules from Saturday, January 4 onwards.
How to Recycle Your Real Christmas Tree for Free
In a separate festive announcement, Southwark Council has confirmed it will once again offer a free Christmas tree collection and recycling service for residents.
To qualify for the free pick-up, trees must meet certain criteria. They should be no taller than 5 feet. Any tree exceeding this height must be chopped into smaller, manageable pieces before collection.
All decorations, pots, and stands must be removed from the tree prior to collection.
The process for collection differs depending on your existing services. Residents who already subscribe to the council's garden waste collection service can simply leave their prepared tree beside their green bin on their scheduled garden waste collection day.
For households without a garden waste subscription, a free collection can still be requested by booking through the council. Alternatively, trees can be taken directly to the Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre in Peckham.
Special Arrangements for Flat Dwellers
The council has issued specific guidance for residents living in flats. To ensure collection crews can easily see them, Christmas trees from flats should be placed on the kerbside outside the property, and not inside bin stores or communal areas.
Bookings for the free Christmas tree collection service will open for residents from Sunday, December 22.
These annual adjustments are designed to accommodate public holidays while ensuring Southwark's waste and recycling services continue to run as smoothly as possible during a busy time of year.
