![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/0_bin_men1.jpg\")
File photo of bin men collecting recycling(Image: Donna Clifford\/GrimsbyLive)<\/p>\nThere are changes to some of the rounds at ChristmasFile photo of bin men collecting recycling(Image: Donna Clifford\/GrimsbyLive)<\/p>\n
Manchester council has confirmed its bin collection schedule for the 2025 Christmas<\/a> and New Year period, and there are some changes residents need to be aware of.<\/p>\n Bank holidays for Christmas Day and Boxing Day, on a Thursday and Friday this year, have disrupted the usual working patterns of bin men in the city. New Year\u2019s Day is also on a Thursday this winter, also changing the schedule.<\/p>\n The council has now clarified when bins will be collected and issued extensive advice on how Mancs can recycle their Christmas trees, cardboard, plastic, leftover food, and electrical items.<\/p>\n Most bin days will not change, the authority says, with collections on December 22, 23, 24, and 30 going ahead as normal, so if your bins were usually picked up on a Wednesday, they will still be collected on Wednesdays around Christmas, including Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n Collections on Thursdays will move to the following Saturday (e.g. Christmas Day rounds will take place on December 27), and Friday\u2019s schedule will take place on the following weekend.<\/p>\n A full schedule of Manchester bin collections is available below, along with recycling advice.<\/strong><\/p>\n Bin collection days<\/p>\n You can use the council\u2019s website to check your bin days here.<\/a><\/p>\n Christmas trees<\/p>\n Only real Christmas trees can be recycled. To do so, you must remove any lights, decorations, and stands or bases.<\/p>\n If you make a donation to charity Just Helping<\/a>, staff come and collect your real tree from your home in January, with proceeds going to good causes like Moya Cole Hospice (previously St Anne’s Hospice)<\/a>, Francis House<\/a>, and We Love Manchester<\/a>. You need to book ahead with Just Helping.<\/a><\/p>\n Real trees can also be recycled in your normal council green bin, if you chop it up and put the pieces into the green bin for a January<\/a> collection.<\/p>\n Several drop-off sites have also been created so you can recycle your tree in January. They are:<\/p>\n City centre residents can take their real trees to:<\/p>\n Apartment-dwellers can also arrange a collection of their tree by speaking to their building manager, or emailing Christmas.Tree.Manchester@biffa.co.uk<\/a> with your name and address, a description of the location where you’ll leave the tree and when you’ll be putting it there. You cannot leave your tree behind any locked doors or gates.<\/p>\n Cardboard and paper<\/p>\n Cardboard and paper should go in your blue recycling bin<\/a>. You need to crush or flatten boxes and remove any plastic packaging, bubble wrap and polystyrene first \u2014 which should go in your grey general waste bin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most Christmas cards and wrapping paper can be recycled in your blue bin, and they can also be taken to the tip. However, they need to be made entirely of paper \u2014 a handy tip is to scrunch up some wrapping paper into a ball. If it stays scrunched-up, it can be recycled.<\/p>\n Wrapping paper with foil or plastic on, usually for glitter or sparkly shapes, cannot be recycled and needs to be put into the grey general waste bin.<\/p>\n Food<\/p>\n Christmas food leftovers, including meat bones, can be put in the green caddy or bin<\/a> if packaging is removed.<\/p>\n Foil trays can be recycled with any other foil in the brown recycling bin.<\/p>\n Plastic and glass<\/p>\n Most plastics can be recycled if they\u2019re emptied before going in the brown bin, including plastic tubs (like those used for chocolates), plastic trays (used to hold meat and fruit punnets), foil trays, drinks cans, glass bottles, and glass jars.<\/p>\n\n
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