Southend has not published its Christmas 2026 bin changes yet. Last year's details landed on 17 December: garden waste paused three weeks, trees by booking.
Southend-on-Sea City Council has not published its Christmas and New Year 2026/27 bin collection changes. Its revised collections page said “There are currently no revised collections” when we checked on 24 September 2026.
Last year the council announced its festive arrangements on 17 December, eight days before Christmas. Expect the same again, so the Southend Waste app will be the first place changes appear.
The quick answer
- No 2026/27 dates yet. Last year’s details came out on 17 December 2025.
- Garden waste stops for three weeks over Christmas and New Year. Last year it paused from Monday 22 December and restarted Tuesday 13 January.
- Extra bags were allowed beside wheelie bins from 27 December 2025 to 9 January 2026. The council has not said whether it will repeat that this year.
What is already fixed for this Christmas
- The bank holidays. Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026. Boxing Day falls on a Saturday, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027 (GOV.UK).
- Garden waste takes a three week break. The council’s garden waste page says collections “will be suspended for three weeks over the Christmas and New Year period”. It has not given this year’s dates.
- The 7am rule stays. Bins go on the inside edge of your property by 7am on the collection day, revised or not. The Southend bin collection days page covers the normal routine.
This is the second Christmas on wheelie bins
The four-bin service started in the week of Monday 27 October 2025 (council news, 13 October 2025). Last Christmas was the first time it ran over the holidays.
Recycling and the black bin now go out every two weeks, not weekly. Any collection that slips over the bank holidays matters more, and Christmas brings the most packaging of the year.
What happened last Christmas, 2025/26
These are last year’s arrangements, not this year’s. They are the best guide to what the council is likely to do.
| Service | What the council did in 2025/26 |
|---|---|
| Announcement | Published 17 December 2025 |
| Garden waste | Paused from Monday 22 December 2025, restarted Tuesday 13 January 2026 |
| Extra bags beside bins | Allowed on your collection day from 27 December 2025 to 9 January 2026 |
| Back to bins only | From 10 January 2026 |
| Christmas tree drop-off points | 29 December 2025 to 16 January 2026, weekdays 9am to 3pm, closed at weekends |
| Booked tree collection | Free, request form opened Friday 2 January 2026 |
Sources: council news, 17 December 2025 and the council’s new waste service FAQ.
Extra bags beside your bins
In 2025/26 the council and its contractor SUEZ took extra waste put out next to the wheelie bin, on the right collection day, from 27 December to 9 January:
- black sacks next to the black bin
- pink sacks or carrier bags of recycling next to the pink lid bin
- flattened cardboard next to the blue lid bin
From 10 January everything had to fit in the bin again. That FAQ page still shows last year’s dates. Do not assume the same window this year until the council updates it.
Revised bin days
The council’s December 2025 announcement said “some collection days will change” because of the bank holidays. It sent people to the revised collections page and the app for the details. Once Christmas was over, the council cleared that page, and no copy of last year’s day-by-day changes is still online. By 16 January 2026 it was back to “no revised collections” (archived copy). So we cannot tell you which days moved last year, and this year’s pattern will differ anyway, because Christmas and New Year both fall on Fridays.
Christmas trees
Last year the council changed how trees are collected. It asked residents not to put trees out on their normal bin day, because bin lorries do not take them. It gave three options (council news, 17 December 2025):
- Book a free collection. The request form opened on Friday 2 January 2026. After you apply, the council gives you a date to leave the tree at the edge of your property by 7am.
- Use a drop-off point from 29 December to 16 January. Staff were there Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, and the points were shut at weekends.
- Take it to a tip, at Stock Road or Leigh Marshes.
The drop-off points in 2025/26 were:
- Belfairs Park (SS9 4LR)
- Shoeburyness Park (SS3 9SF)
- Priory Park (SS2 6NB)
- Chalkwell Park (SS0 8NL)
- Shoeburyness Common (South) car park (SS3 9HG)
- Southchurch Park (East) (SS1 2XE)
- St Laurence Park
The council’s article said “six new car park drop-off points” in one place and “seven new temporary deposit points” in another, then listed the seven above. Take off all decorations, pots and stands, and cut any tree over 6ft in half.
The year before, in 2024/25, trees went out on your normal collection day without booking (archived council page, January 2025). Last year the council switched to booked collections. Its Christmas pages are currently offline, so it has not yet said which system it will use this year.
The tips over Christmas
Both tips are closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, and open from 9am on other bank holidays (Southend-on-Sea City Council). The weekly closing days still apply. This year Stock Road is shut on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, because both are Thursdays. Southend tip opening times has the day-by-day list.
Still to be confirmed, and when
- Revised collection days for 2026/27. Expected in December; last year’s came on 17 December.
- Garden waste pause dates. The council has only said three weeks.
- Whether extra bags are allowed again, and on which dates.
- How trees will be collected, and where the drop-off points will be.
The council’s FAQ recommends the Southend Waste app for collection changes. If you cannot use it, call customer services on 01702 215006. We will update this page once the council publishes.
Frequently asked questions
When are the Southend Christmas bin collections for 2026? Not published yet. The council’s revised collections page showed no changes on 24 September 2026. Last year’s arrangements were announced on 17 December 2025.
Is garden waste collected over Christmas in Southend? No. The service stops for three weeks over Christmas and New Year. In 2025/26 it paused from Monday 22 December and restarted on Tuesday 13 January.
Can I put extra rubbish out next to my bin after Christmas? Last year, yes: from 27 December 2025 to 9 January 2026, extra bags could go beside the right bin on your collection day. The council has not confirmed the dates for this year.
How do I get rid of my Christmas tree in Southend? Last year you could book a free collection from 2 January, use one of seven park and car park drop-off points on weekdays from 29 December to 16 January, or take it to a tip. Do not leave it out with your bins.
Which days are bank holidays this Christmas? Friday 25 December 2026, Monday 28 December 2026 as the substitute Boxing Day, and Friday 1 January 2027.
Sources
- Revised collections page, checked 24 September 2026: Southend-on-Sea City Council, revised collection days
- Garden waste three week break: Southend-on-Sea City Council, garden waste
- Extra bags from 27 December 2025 to 9 January 2026: Southend-on-Sea City Council, new waste service FAQ
- 2025/26 garden waste pause, tree collection and drop-off points: council news, 17 December 2025
- New service start date: council news, 13 October 2025
- Revised collections page on 16 January 2026: Wayback Machine
- 2024/25 tree collections: Wayback Machine, January 2025
- Tip Christmas closures: Southend-on-Sea City Council, the tip
- Bank holidays: GOV.UK
Last checked 24 September 2026. Southend-on-Sea City Council has published no 2026/27 Christmas collection changes. We will replace last year’s details with this year’s as soon as it does.
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