New Forest Christmas and New Year recycling and rubbish collections

Most household recycling and rubbish collections in the New Forest district will go ahead as usual over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.

There will be some changes to collections:

Clear recycling sacks and black rubbish sacks

Collections due on Monday, 26 December 2022, will be collected on Monday, 2 January 2023. New Forest District Council (NFDC) will collect extra recycling and rubbish from affected households on Monday, 2 January 2023.

Glass box

Collections due on Monday, 26 December 2022, will be collected on Saturday, 31 December 2022.

Garden waste

There will be no garden waste collections between Monday, 26 December 2022 and Friday, 6 January 2023. Garden waste collections will resume as usual from Monday, 9 January 2023.

All other collection days will stay the same.

Reusing and recycling Christmas waste

NFDC is reminding residents to add empty aerosols, plastic bottles, tins, cans, card and paper to their clear recycling sacks. If not reused, greeting cards and plain brown gift wrap can be added to clear recycling sacks, but any embellishments, such as ribbons or sticky tape, must be removed first. Most gift wrap is unsuitable for recycling in Hampshire as it contains a mixture of plastic and foil.

Christmas tree recycling

NFDC’s Christmas tree recycling drop-off points are returning from Saturday, 31 December 2022, to Sunday, 15 January 2023.

Residents can drop their real Christmas trees off at selected sites across the district, and the council will recycle the trees by chipping them to create mulch. The mulch will be used locally.

Last year, over 6,000 Christmas trees were dropped off at the sites for recycling.  

List of Christmas tree drop-off locations: 

Blackfield   

Gang Warily Community Centre Car Park   

SO45 1GA  

Brockenhurst   

Brookley Road Car Park  

SO42 7RA   

Burley   

Burley Coach Park   

BH24 4AA  

Fordingbridge   

A338 Slip Road Car Park   

SP6 1AW  

Hythe   

New Road Car Park   

SO45 6BP  

Lymington   

Bath Road Car Park   

SO41 3SE   

Lyndhurst   

Village Centre Car Park   

SO43 7BF  

Milford on Sea  

Hurst Road East Overflow Car Park (by Sturt Pond)   

SO41 0PY   

New Milton   

Crossmead Avenue Car Park   

BH25 6NF  

Ringwood   

Furlong Long Stay Car Park – follow signs to designated area   

BH24 1AT  

Totton   

Rumbridge Street Car Park   

SO40 9EA   

Residents are asked to remove tree decorations before taking them to a drop-off point. Trees must be left in designated fenced bays only and placed at the back to avoid blocking the entrance for others. Trees left in car parks and other locations not designated for Christmas tree recycling will be counted as fly-tipping. 

Customers who subscribe to NFDC’s garden waste collection service can recycle real Christmas trees under 6ft, as long as trees are chopped up to fit in garden waste sacks and not exceed the 20kg weight limit for sacks.  

Residents can read more information online at newforest.gov.uk/christmasrecycling.