Residents across Croydon are being advised of significant changes to their regular waste and recycling collection schedules over the upcoming Christmas and New Year period. The council has released a detailed revised timetable to account for the public holidays.
Revised Collection Dates for the Festive Period
The alterations mean that households will need to note a series of new collection days. Collections originally scheduled for Christmas Day, Thursday 25 December, will now take place on Saturday 27 December. This represents a two-day delay for those affected.
For bins normally emptied on Boxing Day, Friday 26 December, the service will be pushed back by three days to Monday 29 December.
The adjustments continue into the following week. Collections planned for Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 December will be collected just one day later than usual. However, services for Wednesday 31 December, Thursday 1 January, and Friday 2 January will all face a two-day postponement.
Returning to Normal in January
The disruption extends into the first full week of the new year. Friday 2 January collections are set to be picked up three days later. From Monday 5 January through to Friday 9 January, all collections will run one day behind the typical schedule.
Croydon Council has confirmed that the standard weekly collection routine will fully resume from Monday 12 January 2026.
Christmas Tree Recycling Services
In addition to the revised bin days, the council is operating a special Christmas tree disposal service. This will run from Monday 5 January to Friday 16 January.
Residents wishing to use this service must place their real trees out by 6am on Monday 5 January. The council has issued important guidelines: all decorations, tinsel, and lights must be removed, and the tree should be taken out of its pot. Trees will be collected as soon as possible from the start date onwards.
For those who prefer to drop off their tree, genuine Christmas trees can be recycled free of charge at any of the borough's three household reuse and recycling centres:
- Factory Lane, West Croydon CR0 3RL
- Fishers Farm, North Downs Road, New Addington CR0 0LB
- Purley Oaks, Brighton Road, South Croydon CR8 2BG
Households subscribed to Croydon's garden waste collection service have another option. They can chop their tree into smaller pieces and place it inside their garden waste bin for collection.
Residents are encouraged to plan ahead and familiarise themselves with the new dates to avoid missed collections and ensure a tidy start to the new year.
