From 1st December, you can book 'real' Christmas trees for kerbside collection between 29th December and 30th January 2026.
After this period, trees will need to be booked as part of the bookable green waste service.
Book online:
Book your Christmas tree to be collected for recycling online.
Artificial trees will not be collected in the Christmas Tree collection service. They must be taken to one of the Council’s Community Recycling Centres, or included in bulky waste bookings.
* Christmas trees from Schools and Non-Domestic premises will need to be booked by contacting us on recycling@rctcbc.gov.uk
By telephone:
You can book by calling: 01443 425001
Instructions
- Trees under 4ft can be placed out whole. Trees over 4ft will have to be cut up into managable peices.
- Remove ALL lights, baubles and stars before putting your tree out.
Please Note: Artificial Christmas trees can be taken to a Community Recycling Centre or booked in for a special collection if you want to dispose of them.
If we haven't collected your tree as planned, please leave it at the kerbside, as we may be working additional hours to clear a backlog. Our crews can work well into the evening during busy periods, and extra staff can sometimes be called in to remove the items the next day.
Bookable GREEN Waste collections are SUSPENDED from 25th December to allow us to use as many resources as possible to collect the anticipated record amounts of recycling this Christmas.
The Bookable Green Waste Service will resume from Monday 12th January and run alongside the Real Christmas Tree collection service until 30th January 2026.
However, your green waste including real Christmas trees can still be taken to your local Community Recycling Centres (unbagged) throughout the festive period.
Missed Christmas Tree Collection
Christmas Tree collection crews are currently working into the early evening to meet demand.
Please leave your tree at your normal collection point. If your tree has not been collected by midday on the day following your pre-booked collection slot, please report this as a missed Christmas tree collection using the link below and leave your tree at your collection point.
You will be able to Report a missed Christmas Tree Collection here when the collections begin from 29th December 2025.