Rubbish collection changes in the New Forest and Christchurch over Christmas and new year

CHANGES to rubbish collection across the New Forest and Christchurch over the Christmas period have been announced.

New Forest residents who would usually have rubbish and recycling collected on Fridays – which this year include bank holidays Christmas Day and New Year’s Day – will receive a service on Saturday 2nd January.

Glass box collections due on Christmas Day will be carried over to 2nd January, and those due on New Year’s Day will take place on 9th January.

There will be no garden waste collection between 21st December and 3rd January.

Details of these changes were delivered to every household in the New Forest on the week beginning 14th December.

New Forest District Council is urging households to recycle as much Christmas waste as they can: cards, paper, sweet and biscuit tins, and cardboard packaging can be put in the clear recycling sacks.

The majority of wrapping paper cannot be recycled because it is mixed with plastic or foil.

Real Christmas trees can be dropped off for recycling at selected car parks across the district from 2nd to 17th January 2021. These will be chipped and used as mulch.

Drop-off sites include Gang Warily Community Centre car park, Burley coach park, the A338 Fordingbridge slip-road car park, New Road car park in Hythe, Bath Road car park in Lymington, Lyndhurst village centre car park, Hurst Road East overflow car park in Milford, Crossmead Avenue car park in New Milton, The Furlong long-stay car park in Ringwood, and Rumbridge Street car park in Totton.

Those who subscribe to the garden waste collection service can recycle trees under 6ft, but these must be cut up and loaded into the garden waste bag between 4th and 18th January.

For more details, visit https://newforest.gov.uk/christmasrefuse

In Christchurch, services will not operate on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or New Year’s Day, but catch-up collections will run from 28th December to 9th January.

Cllr Mark Anderson, waste boss at BCP Council, said: “This has been a very difficult year for everyone, and now we want everyone to have a great Christmas and not be left with piles of rubbish or recycling because they’ve forgotten to put their bins out.”

He continued: “We are passionate about creating a sustainable BCP, with waste management playing a big part in this, so please be waste aware this Christmas.”

Christmas trees can be taken to the household recycling centre in Wilverley Road, Christchurch, or to Upton Country Park for composting.

Alternatively, a volunteer collection service is being organised by Diverse Abilities, a charity which supports children and adults with physical and learning disabilities across Dorset. To arrange a pick-up between 9th and 10th January for a small donation, go to www.diverseabilities.org.uk/trees/

For information on Christmas collections, visit www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/festivewaste