Watford Christmas bin collections: some rounds move earlier

Watford Borough Council has not yet published its Christmas and New Year bin collection dates for 2026/27. Last year’s timetable is the best guide, and it had a twist most councils do not: some collections moved earlier, not later, so a Monday round was emptied on the Saturday before.

The quick answer

• The 2026 dates are not published yet. Last year the council’s notice went up on 22 December 2025, two days after the first changed collection.
• In 2025 a Monday 22 December round was collected on Saturday 20 December, and the changes ran for three weeks, to Saturday 10 January.
• Garden waste paused from 24 December to 9 January, and everyone could put out two extra bags of rubbish and one of recycling on the first collection after Christmas.

Why you cannot wait for the notice

In 2025 the council’s full timetable, Changes to your waste collection until 10 January 2026, was published on 22 December. By then the Saturday 20 December catch-up had already happened. Four days earlier, on 18 December, the council’s festive opening hours notice warned that “some areas” would be collected earlier than usual, and pointed people to their collection calendars.

So the reliable source is your own address. Look it up at watford.gov.uk/checkmybinday, which opens your calendar on the My Watford portal, from early December onwards.

Last year’s pattern, and it is only a guide

These are the 2025/26 dates, copied from the council’s notice. They are not this year’s dates.

The shape is worth understanding. Before Christmas every round moved earlier, to the previous working day, so the Monday round went out on the Saturday before and Christmas Day was kept free. After Christmas every round moved later, usually by a day, and New Year’s Day pushed the Wednesday round back two days. Only in the week of 12 January did everything return to normal.

Why 2026 will look different

The bank holidays fall on different days this year. According to GOV.UK, Christmas Day is Friday 25 December, Boxing Day falls on a Saturday so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December, and New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027.

Last year the lost days were a Thursday, a Friday and a Thursday. This year they are two Fridays and a Monday, so the Friday and Monday rounds are the ones to watch. Do not copy the table above onto this year’s calendar.

Extra rubbish, recycling and garden waste

Last year’s notice set three rules for the break:

• Garden waste paused from Wednesday 24 December 2025 to Friday 9 January 2026 for subscribers to the paid green bin service
• Two extra bags of general rubbish and one extra bag of recycling were allowed on the first collection after Christmas, with the recycling in a clear or clearly marked sack
• Batteries and vapes must stay out of every bin; take them to a recycling centre

Recycling is unlimited in Watford all year, in clear or labelled bags beside the blue-lidded bin, and households of four or more can ask for a second blue bin. Details and prices are on our Watford bin collection days page.

Real Christmas trees

You do not need a garden waste subscription. In 2026 the council’s tree collection notice said Veolia would collect real trees from 10 January, and its recycling A to Z says collections run throughout January. Last time the rules were:

• cut the tree into sections no longer than 4 feet
• remove all lights, tinsel and decorations
• put it at the edge of your property by 6am on your collection day, clear of the pavement

If your bin is missed

Veolia runs Watford’s collections under contract. Report a missed bin after 5pm on the collection day and within 24 hours. Over the break the council’s own phone lines closed at 4pm on Christmas Eve and reopened at 9am on 2 January last year, so report online.

Still to be confirmed

• The 2026/27 revised collection days (expected mid December; last year 22 December)
• The garden waste pause dates
• The real Christmas tree collection start date

We will update this page as soon as the council publishes. For the tip over Christmas see Watford tip opening times, and for trains and parking see Christmas travel in Watford.