Waste Collections
Waste and recycling at Christmas
On this page:
Waste collections – Residual (non-recyclable) waste
Household waste and recycling collection dates
Book a real Christmas tree collection
Pembrokeshire County Council trade waste customers
Waste and Recycling Centres (WRC’s) at Christmas
Pembrokeshire recycles at Christmas
Christmas is a truly wonderful time of year but while enjoying the festivities please also remember to recycle, below is a list of what can be recycled in each of the kerbside sort containers.
- Blue reusable sack – Cardboard & card including delivery boxes and brown packaging/wrapping paper and Christmas cards without glitter, foil embossing or any other embossing on them (no bows, ribbons etc). Please ensure your cardboard is flattened or cut to fit within the blue bag to fit in the vehicle compartment.
- Blue box – Paper including newspapers and magazines, leaflets, envelopes and paper based wrapping paper which meets the 'scrunch test' (paper which bounces back after it is scrunched in a ball, foil based paper or wrapping paper with glitter on is not recyclable and should be placed in your grey/black residual bags).
- Red reusable sack – Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (excluding black and brown plastic pots, tubs and trays), food and beverage cartons and metal packaging including cans, tins, empty aerosols, foil and foil trays. Your plastic sweet/ chocolate tubs and metal biscuit tins are also recyclable through the red bag.
- Green caddy – Food waste – including peelings, turkey carcasses and any Christmas leftovers. But why not turn any leftover food into a wonderful dish, like a curry or pie.
- Green box – Glass bottles and jars – including wine, beer and spirit bottles, sauce jars and non-food bottles such as empty perfume bottles.
- Household-provided clear bag – Household batteries and Vapes – please place batteries and vapes in separate clear bags on top of your recycling containers.
- Small electrical items – Please place these loosely on top of one of your containers. These can include items such as hair dryers, kettles, handheld power tools etc. Please remember that items should be no larger than a 4-slice toaster.
For a more detailed list please use the Pembrokeshire Recycling A-Z or Recycling search
Please help our crews by putting your recycling out for collection before Christmas, to ensure you have as much space as possible in your recycling containers over the busy festive period.
Alternatively, you can take your waste it to any of our Waste and Recycling Centres via a pre booked slot or recycle through one of our community recycling points located throughout Pembrokeshire.
Waste collections – Residual (non-recyclable) waste
We know that a combination of spending more time at home this Christmas and extra visitors could mean fuller recycling and residual bags during this period. To help with the extra residual waste we will allow properties to present one extra bag at the kerbside on your first collection of residual 'non-recyclable' waste after Christmas. The date of this collection is shown on your online kerbside collection calendar or why not sign up to the collection notifications via My Account.
It is still important to recycle as much as possible though, including wrapping paper. Wrapping paper can be recycled if it does not contain glitter or foil, and does not bounce back/unfold again if you scrunch it up into a ball. Make sure you recycle your food waste such as turkey bones and potato peelings.
Household waste and recycling collection dates
Please note: There will be some changes to rubbish and recycling collections over Christmas and New Year.
There will be no waste and recycling collections on Christmas Day (Thursday 25 December), Boxing Day (Friday 26 December) or New Year’s Day (Thursday 1 January).
- Collections due Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day) will be collected 2 days later on Saturday 27 December.
- Collections due Friday 26 December (Boxing Day) will be collected 2 days later on Sunday 28 December
New Year collections
- Collections due Thursday 1 January 2026 will be collected 2 days later on Saturday 3 January.
There are no changes to the items collected and please ensure these are out for collection by 6.30am.
Please check your online calendars or sign up to the notification service via My Account to see which items are collected each week.
Collections will return to normal from Monday 5 January 2025
Book a real Christmas tree collection
Residents can book a collection from 16 December 2025:
- Online: through My Account until Sunday 4 January 2026
- By phone: call the Contact Centre on 01437 764551 until Friday 2 January 2026
Cost
Collection costs £5.60 per tree.
Your tree will be collected from your home and taken to a Pembrokeshire facility for shredding and composting.
Collection date
When you book, you’ll see the collection date before you confirm and pay. The date is fixed based on your address and cannot be changed.
Collections will take place between Monday 5 - Friday 16 January 2025.
Cancelling a booking
Bookings cannot be cancelled after Friday 2 January 2026
To cancel: Should you wish to cancel your tree collection please ring our contact centre on 01437 764551. View the contact centre Christmas opening times
Other ways to recycle your tree
You can take your tree to any Waste and Recycling Centre free of charge.
Book a slot at one of our Waste and Recycling Centres (the tip) online or call the contact centre.
Pembrokeshire County Council trade waste customers
There will be changes to collection dates over the festive period, those on the small business/ holiday let packages will receive collections as per the household collection dates above.
All other trade waste customers will be contacted directly via email with their festive collection dates.
Waste and Recycling Centres (WRC’s) at Christmas
Pembrokeshire household and commercial users will need to book a slot at one of our Waste and Recycling Centre’s if they wish to use the WRC’s over the festive period. Only users with a pre-booked slot will be able to use the WRC’s.
To book a slot for the WRC or view the user guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) please visit: Waste bookings
The WRC’s will remain open as per the winter opening hours however please note they will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
In addition to the winter opening hours, the following WRC’s will also be open on the following dates:
- Manorowen Waste and Recycling Centre SA65 9QE - open on Wednesday 24 and Wednesday 31 December
- St Davids Waste and Recycling Centre SA62 6BY - open on Monday 29 December
Please recycle this Christmas
Make recycling your New Years resolution!
Contact us:
Tel: 01437 764551
Email: wasteandrecycling@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Web: Waste and recycling