Havering Christmas Bin Collections: 2026 Dates Due December

Havering has not published its Christmas 2026 collection dates yet. What we do know, from the council’s own pages, is how it handled the last two Christmases: Christmas Eve ran as normal, then every collection day from Christmas Day onwards moved later, for two and a half weeks, and garden waste and bulky collections stopped for a fortnight.

The council works almost every other bank holiday without changing anything, so Christmas is the one time of year you cannot put your sacks out on the usual day and assume they will go.

The quick answer

• 2026 dates are not out yet. Last year the council was publicising them by 10 December; in 2024 the table was online by 3 December
• Last year every day from Christmas Day moved, most of them by one day, until normal service returned on Monday 12 January 2026
• Garden and bulky waste stopped from 22 December 2025 to 4 January 2026; Christmas Eve collections ran as normal

What happened at Christmas 2025

This is the table Havering published for black sacks, orange sacks and clinical waste over Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026, as it appeared on the council’s bank holiday collections page in January 2026 (the council has since replaced it with the August bank holiday notice, so the link below is to the archived copy).

Collections returned to normal days on Monday 12 January 2026. The council also said there would be no garden or bulky waste collections from 22 December 2025 until both restarted on 5 January 2026 (archived council page, January 2026).

Christmas 2024 followed the same shape: Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 December ran as normal, Christmas Day’s collections moved to Friday 27 December, and normal service returned on Monday 13 January 2025 (archived council page, 3 December 2024).

What is different about Christmas 2026

The calendar falls differently this year. Christmas Day is a Friday, Boxing Day is a Saturday, so the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December, and New Year’s Day 2027 is also a Friday. That means two Friday bank holidays and a Monday one inside eight days, so do not copy last year’s dates onto this year’s calendar. Wait for the council’s table, which this page will carry as soon as it is published.

Putting sacks out over Christmas

• Havering collects black and orange sacks every week, not in wheeled bins. The usual rule applies over Christmas: sacks out by 7am on your (revised) collection day, just inside the property boundary.
• Extra recycling after Christmas goes in orange sacks. The council asks you to avoid wrapping paper and cards with glitter, foil or metallic ink, which cannot always be recycled, and to go easy on sticky tape (Havering: reducing waste at Christmas).
• To report a missed collection over the holiday, use the council’s missed collection form. Our bin collection days page explains the reporting deadline and the rules that get a report rejected.

Real Christmas trees

The council gives three routes for a real tree (Havering Council):

• Saint Francis Hospice collects trees from your home for a voluntary donation. Book on 01708 753319 or through the hospice’s website.
• Take it to the Gerpins Lane Reuse and Recycling Centre in Upminster.
• If you pay for the garden waste bin, cut the tree in half and put it in the green bin with the lid closed on your collection day, remembering the two-week pause over Christmas.

Gerpins Lane tip over Christmas

The East London Waste Authority, which runs Gerpins Lane, publishes these holiday hours (ELWA):

On other days it opens 07:30 to 17:45 with last entry at 17:30. Vans, trailers and DIY waste in any vehicle need a booking; the full rules are on our bin collection days page.

When this page will be updated

We will replace the 2025 table with the council’s 2026 dates as soon as they go up, which on the last two years’ form means the first half of December. If you are travelling over the holiday, our Christmas trains and buses page covers the Elizabeth line and c2c, and the school term dates page has the Christmas break. Driving to the tip? Check the latest roadworks and parking.

Common questions

Will my bins be collected on Christmas Eve in Havering?

In 2024 and 2025, yes: Christmas Eve collections ran as normal. The council has not yet confirmed 2026.

When does garden waste stop over Christmas in Havering?

Last year there were no garden or bulky waste collections from 22 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, restarting on 5 January. The 2026 dates are not out yet.

When do Havering collections go back to normal after Christmas?

Monday 12 January 2026 last year, and Monday 13 January 2025 the year before.

Sources

• Bank holiday rubbish and recycling collections, London Borough of Havering, with the Christmas 2025 table from the archived copy of 19 January 2026 and Christmas 2024 from the archived copy of 3 December 2024.
• Havering Council on X, 10 December 2025, announcing the 2025 revised dates.
• Reducing waste at Christmas, London Borough of Havering, for trees and wrapping.
• Gerpins Lane RRC, East London Waste Authority, for holiday opening hours.

Last checked 25 September 2026.