Christmas Day and New Year's Day both fall on a Friday in 2026, so Friday rounds move. Last year's Rushcliffe dates, and when the 2026 list is due.
Rushcliffe Borough Council has not yet published its Christmas 2026 bin dates. It published last year’s on 23 December 2025, two days before Christmas, and the dates also sit in the printed collection calendar that is posted to every home in November.
What we can say now is which rounds are in line to move. In 2026 Christmas Day and New Year’s Day are both Fridays, and the Boxing Day bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December. Last year it was the Thursday and Friday rounds that shifted.
The quick answer
- The 2026 Christmas dates are not out yet. They come with the new calendar, which the council says is delivered “every November”.
- Friday households are the ones to watch. Christmas Day and New Year’s Day both land on a Friday this year.
- Garden waste stops over Christmas and restarts in January on the date printed on your calendar.
What changed last Christmas
The council’s own festive graphic, posted on 23 December 2025, listed nine moves. Every other collection that fortnight ran as normal.
| Usual day | Grey bin | Blue bin | Glass bin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 25 December | Tuesday 23 December | Monday 22 December | Tuesday 23 December |
| Friday 26 December | Monday 29 December | Wednesday 24 December | Monday 29 December |
| Thursday 1 January | Wednesday 31 December | Tuesday 30 December | Wednesday 31 December |
Source: Rushcliffe Borough Council, festive bin collection dates, 23 December 2025.
Two things stand out. The blue bin always moved earlier, even on the Boxing Day round, when grey and glass went later to the Monday after. And the grey and glass bins moved together, because glass is collected on the grey bin’s day on a six-week cycle.
The same graphic said: “All other dates are unaffected. Garden waste collections will resume in January and residents should refer to their collection calendar for specific dates.”
Which rounds are likely to move in 2026
This is our reading of the calendar, not the council’s schedule.
| Bank holiday | Date in 2026/27 | Round affected |
|---|---|---|
| Christmas Day | Friday 25 December | Friday |
| Boxing Day (substitute) | Monday 28 December | Monday |
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January | Friday |
- Friday rounds fall on both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, so they are the ones certain to move.
- Monday rounds fall on the Boxing Day substitute. For every other bank holiday Monday this year, Rushcliffe moved Monday rounds to the Saturday before, as our bin days page sets out. The Saturday before 28 December is Boxing Day itself, so expect something different here and wait for the council’s dates.
- Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday rounds do not fall on a bank holiday this year. Last year’s Thursday moves happened only because Christmas Day and New Year’s Day were Thursdays.
When the 2026 dates arrive
The council’s bins FAQ says calendars “are delivered to households every November” and asks residents to keep them, “as it contains important information about changes to collection days, such as over the Christmas, New Year” period. Last year the council announced the new calendars were going out on 11 November 2025.
We will add the 2026 dates here when the calendar lands, and again when the council posts its festive graphic. If you lose the calendar, the council’s online collection search gives your day and bin colour.
Putting the bin out on a changed day
Crews can arrive earlier than usual on a moved collection. The council’s bin page asks for bins at the edge of the property “by 7am”. On a changed day, the safe move is to put it out the night before. (Rushcliffe Borough Council)
Garden waste over Christmas
Green bins are not emptied for a short spell over Christmas and New Year. The council says this is “due to operational reasons and a lack of customer demand over the holiday period”, and the subscription is not reduced for it. (Rushcliffe Borough Council, garden waste)
Christmas lights and batteries
The council has a specific warning on this. In June 2024 a set of battery-operated fairy lights put in a blue bin set off a small fire in the back of a Rushcliffe bin lorry. Blue bins must never contain batteries or electrical items. The council does take batteries if they are in a bag on top of any bin, and larger electricals go to the tip. (Rushcliffe Borough Council, 7 June 2024)
If the bin is full after Christmas
The recycling centre on Rugby Road is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day and open every other day from 8am to 4pm in December and January. Our tip opening times page has the rules, including the van booking system that starts on 2 January 2027.
Still to confirm
- Rushcliffe’s Christmas 2026 dates: due with the new collection calendar in November 2026, and on the council’s social feeds in December.
- Garden waste restart date: printed on the 2026/27 calendar.
Have your say