St Albans Bin Day
St Albans Christmas bin collection 2026
Last updated: 24 October 2026
Bin collections across St Albans, Harpenden, Redbourn, Wheathampstead, London Colney and the rest of the district change over Christmas and New Year. Here is what St Albans City & District Council has confirmed so far for 2026/27, and how to check your own bin day.
The quickest way to check your bin day over Christmas
Enter your postcode and choose your address. You'll see the next collection dates the council has for your address, and which bins are due.
Check my bin dayWhat changes over Christmas 2026
The council's 2026/27 waste and recycling calendar confirms:
- Collections over the festive period will be up to 4 days behind the usual day.
- Normal collections resume on Monday 18 January 2027.
- There is no garden waste collection for two weeks from 25 December. Garden waste restarts on 11 January 2027.
- On other bank holidays in the year, collections are one day later than usual for the rest of that week.
The bank holidays this year are Friday 25 December (Christmas Day), Monday 28 December (Boxing Day, moved from Saturday 26 December) and Friday 1 January 2027 (New Year's Day).
Day-by-day revised dates: not published yet
The council hasn't published its day-by-day table for Christmas 2026 yet. Last year's appeared in mid-December. We'll add it to this page as soon as it's out. Until then, the postcode lookup is the best way to check your next collection.
Garden waste and Christmas trees
Garden waste isn't collected for two weeks from 25 December, as set out in the garden waste terms and conditions. The service restarts on 11 January 2027.
On your first garden waste collection day after the break, you can put extra garden waste next to your garden waste bin, and garden waste subscribers can put their Christmas tree in the garden waste bin for collection.
Last year the council asked residents to cut trees over 7ft in half and remove all decorations. If you don't subscribe to garden waste, you can take your tree to a Hertfordshire household waste recycling centre, and some local charities run paid-for tree collections in St Albans and Harpenden.
How it worked last Christmas (2025/26)
For reference, this is the council's revised table from last year. Christmas Day and New Year's Day fell on a Thursday then, so the 2026 dates will be different.
| Usual day | Revised day |
|---|---|
| Mon 22 – Wed 24 December | No change |
| Thursday 25 December | Saturday 27 December |
| Friday 26 December | Monday 29 December |
| Monday 29 December | Tuesday 30 December |
| Tuesday 30 December | Wednesday 31 December |
| Wednesday 31 December | Friday 2 January |
| Thursday 1 January | Saturday 3 January |
| Friday 2 January | Monday 5 January |
| Monday 5 January | Tuesday 6 January |
| Tuesday 6 January | Wednesday 7 January |
| Wednesday 7 January | Thursday 8 January |
| Thursday 8 January | Friday 9 January |
| Friday 9 January | Saturday 10 January |
Collections can run on Saturdays over the holiday, so it's worth checking your date rather than assuming your usual weekday.
Common questions
Are St Albans bin collections affected over Christmas 2026?
Yes. The council's 2026/27 calendar says collections over the festive period will be up to 4 days behind, with normal collections resuming on Monday 18 January 2027.
Is there a garden waste collection over Christmas?
No. There is no garden waste collection for two weeks from 25 December. The service restarts on 11 January 2027.
How do I get rid of my Christmas tree in St Albans?
Garden waste subscribers can put their Christmas tree in their garden waste bin on their first garden waste collection day after the Christmas break. Without a subscription, you can take it to a household waste recycling centre.
How do I find my revised bin day over Christmas?
Enter your postcode on the St Albans Bin Collection homepage and choose your address. It shows the next collection dates the council has for your address.
Official information
This is an independent community website and is not affiliated with St Albans City & District Council. For official details, see the council's rubbish and recycling collections page. Information on this page comes from the council's 2026/27 collection calendar and its 2025/26 Christmas notice.