Christmas bin collection dates for Leeds as changes start tomorrow - and what to do with your Christmas tree

Between the mountain of delivery packaging, the empty glass bottles, and that one relative who insists on using non-recyclable glitter wrap, managing the "aftermath" is a holiday tradition in itself.

But before you start cramming everything into the black bin in a post-turkey haze, there are a few things you need to know.

Leeds City Council has shifted the goalposts for the festive fortnight, and with new rules on what can—and absolutely cannot—go into your green bin this year, getting it right is the difference between a tidy New Year and a very grumpy note from the collection crew.

From the critical battery ban and what to do with your real Christmas tree, to the new rules on glass, here is everything you need to know to survive the 2025 festive shift and keep your street (and the planet) a bit greener.

When are bins due to be collected in Leeds over the Christmas period?

For the 2025/26 festive season, Leeds City Council has confirmed that bin collection days will change for a two-week window starting Sunday, December 21, 2025.

The service will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. To make up for this, crews will be operating throughout the rest of the period, including Sundays.

• The Changeover: Collections will be shifted from December 21, 2025 until January 4.
• Back to Normal: Regular collection schedules will resume on Monday, January 5, 2026.

How to check your specific street

Because the shift varies depending on your usual collection day, the council recommends checking your specific schedule via these methods:

• Online: You can visit the official Leeds Council website to get the most definitive date when you’ll need to take your bins out during the festive period.
• The App: Download the Leeds Bins app on your phone to get push notifications and reminders.

What can I throw out, and what can’t I recycle this year?

Based on the latest guidance from Leeds City Council for the 2025/26 festive season, there is a big focus on glass and safety this year.

Here is your "Yes/No" checklist to help you navigate the mountain of post-Christmas packaging.

Yes!

• Glass Bottles and Jars: all your empty wine bottles, beer bottles, and jam jars can go straight into the green bin. Just give them a quick rinse first.
• Cardboard and Paper: Delivery boxes (remove the tape!), brown paper, greeting cards (without glitter), and those "Five Yorkshire Wrap" cardboard trays.
• Cans and Tins: Empty food tins and drink cans.
• Plastic Bottles: Including milk bottles, pop bottles, and cleaning product bottles (keep the triggers and caps on).
• Plastic Pots, Tubs, and Trays: Yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, and the clear plastic trays used for fruit or meat.

No!

• Batteries: CRITICAL: Do not put these in your household bins (green or black). They can cause fires in the collection trucks or at the recycling plant. Take them to a dedicated battery bin at your local supermarket or recycling centre.
• Glitter and Foil Wrap: If your wrapping paper or cards are covered in glitter or have a metallic, foil-like finish, they cannot be recycled. Use the "scrunch test"—if you scrunch it and it stays scrunched, it's likely paper; if it bounces back, it's plastic/foil.
• Soft Plastics: Things like crisp packets, sweet wrappers, and plastic film shouldn't go in the green bin, but many local supermarkets now have collection points for these.
• Food Waste: Leftover turkey and trimmings go in the black bin (or your compost).
• Pyrex and Mirrors: While glass bottles are okay, Pyrex dishes, drinking glasses, and mirrors are made of a different type of glass that cannot be recycled in the green bin.

What about my real Christmas tree - where can I dispose of that?

Don't bin them - instead, Leeds Council have recommended that you book a collection with St Gemma’s or Sue Ryder hospices to properly dispose of that might spruce in your living room this year.

They will pick up your tree in early January for a small donation, which goes directly toward local hospice care.

I have too much cardboard that my green bin can handle - help!

This is quite often the problem, especially during the slowest time of the year.

But, if you’ve got more cardboard than your green bin can handle, the Household Waste Recycling Centres are open 8am–4pm every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

Looking for a less “domestic” timetable over the Christmas period? Check out the opening hours at Trinity Leeds this year, including times for the all important Boxing Day sales