Waste Collections Over The Festive Period 24/25
Recycling, refuse and food waste collections
Check out the calendar below for the revised recycling, refuse and food waste collection dates over the festive season 24/25.
You can also download the festive waste collection calendar as seen in Ashford For You [pdf] 1549KB.
Please ensure your bin is presented prior to 6am.
| Normal Collection Day | Revised Collection Day |
|---|---|
| Monday 23 December | Monday 23 December |
| Tuesday 24 December | Tuesday 24 December |
| Wednesday 25 December | Friday 27 December |
| Thursday 26 December | Saturday 28 December |
| Friday 27 December | Monday 30 December |
| Monday 30 December | Tuesday 31 December |
| Tuesday 31 December | Thursday 2 January |
| Wednesday 1 January | Friday 3 January |
| Thursday 2 January | Saturday 4 January |
| Friday 3 January | Monday 6 January |
| Monday 6 January | Tuesday 7 January |
| Tuesday 7 January | Wednesday 8 January |
| Wednesday 8 January | Thursday 9 January |
| Thursday 9 January | Friday 10 January |
| Friday 10 January | Saturday 11 January |
Normal recycling, refuse and food waste service resumes Monday 13 January.
Garden waste collections
Please ensure your bin is presented prior to 6am.
| Normal collection day | Revised collection day |
|---|---|
| Monday 23 December | Monday 23 December |
| Tuesday 24 December | Tuesday 24 December |
| Wednesday 25 December | Friday 27 December |
| Thursday 26 December | Saturday 28 December |
| Friday 27 December | Monday 30 December |
Garden waste collections will be suspended for the weeks commencing Monday 30 December and Monday 6 January and will resume on your normal day of collection from Monday 13 January.
Missed bin collections
Missed bin collections can continue to be reported via the usual Report It channel.
Please note that any missed bins need to be reported the day after your collection was due, but no later than 48 working hours thereafter.
Once you have reported your missed collection, please leave your bin outside at the usual point of collection.
Large item collections
Large item collections will be suspended from Wednesday 25 December and will resume normal service on Wednesday 8 January.
Clinical collections
There will be no changes to clinical collections of the festive season.
Festive waste and recycling
+ Green Recycling Bin
- Christmas cards
- Tin foil and foil serving trays
- Champagne, wine and beer bottles
- Non-foil, glitter free wrapping paper (check out our tips below if you are unsure)
- Cardboard boxes
- Sweet/chocolate tins
- mince pie foil cases
Please remove any food waste to avoid contamination in your recycling.
+ Grey Refuse Bin
- Tinsel
- Broken decorations
- Bubble wrap and soft plastic packaging like cellophane
- Foil/shiny wrapping paper
- Champagne and wine corks
- Polystyrene
+ Real Christmas Tree Recycling
For the 13th year we are supporting Pilgrims Hospices special fundraising campaign which offers real Christmas tree collections from homes across the Ashford borough.
Simply make a donation of your choice when registering your real Christmas tree and Pilgrims volunteer elves will collect the tree from your doorstep and take it for recycling.
Last year more than 3,250 trees were collected from Ashford, Canterbury and Thanet areas and over £60,000 raised for vita end-of-life care.
Register your real Christmas for collection by midnight Sunday 5 January on Pilgrims Hospices website and they will take it away Saturday 11 January - Sunday 12 January 2025.
Sleigh your food waste
From going overboard with the mince pies to catering for everyone's taste buds it's easy to buy and waste too much food. Love Food Hate Waste have lots of tips and advice to help you waste less food this festive period from how to plan your food shops, cooking the right amount with the food portion calculator and becoming a leftover champion!
Feed your food caddy
For the food waste you can't avoid use your food caddy.
Your leftovers, turkey carcass, vegetable and potato peelings, coffee grounds, tea bags and lots more can be put in your food caddy to be recycled. Find the full list on our food waste page.
Need a food caddy? Order your free one on our website.
+ Tips for recycling more
- Check what your local supermarket can recycle for items we are unable to accept in household recycling collections.
- Flatten your cardboard boxes to give yourself more room in your recycling bin. For any that can fit in your recycling bin flatten and leave next to your recycling bin for collection.
- Remove any ribbons and bows from your wrapping paper - keep them for reuse next year.
- Unsure if your wrapping paper is recyclable? Do the scrunch test. Scrunch up the paper in your hands, if it doesn't spring back open then it is non-foil and can be recycled.
You can use our A-Z how do I dispose of guide to help with any items you are unsure if it can be recycled in your green bin or not.
A reminder we do not collect batteries and small electrical items (including Christmas lights) as part of the normal kerbside collections. Do not place batteries and electrical items in your refuse or recycling bins as they can cause serious fires. This is because they are likely to be squashed, compacted, punctured or soaked in liquid which can cause them to get very hot and ignite, resulting in damage and disruption to your waste service and it also puts waste collection crews lives at risk. Most supermarkets and shops recycling batteries and small electrical items, you can find where local to you on the Recycle Your Electricals website.
