When will my bin get collected? Edinburgh, Lothians, Fife Christmas bin collection dates
There are different bin collection guidelines for councils across Scotland - here are the dates and changes for Edinburgh, Midlothian, West Lothian, East Lothian and Fife.
Bin collections across Scotland are changing over the festive period, to give refuse workers a much-needed rest.
But with more household waste than at any other time of the year, it’s important you know when your council will collect your bins over the coming weeks.
Edinburgh
Wheelie bins, glass recycling boxes and food waste caddies will not be collected on Christmas or New Year’s Day. If your bins are usually emptied on a Thursday, they should be put out on Saturday. If your bins are emptied on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday, you can put them out as usual.
If your usual collection day is:
- Tuesday December 23 – no change
- Wednesday December 24 – no change
- Thursday December 25 - wheelie bins, glass recycling and food caddies will be collected on Saturday December 27
- Friday December 26 - no change
- Tuesday December 30 – no change
- Wednesday December 31 – no change
- Thursday January 1- wheelie bins, glass recycling and food caddies will be collected on Saturday January 3
- Friday January 2 - no change
If your usual collection for your gull proof sack is Thursday, it will be collected on Saturday instead.
Bins and boxes should be put out by 6am.
East Lothian
No waste or recycling collections will take place on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
- Thursday December 25 - alternative collection date on Saturday December 27
- Friday December 26 - alternative collection date on Sunday December 28
- Thursday January 1 - alternative collection date on Saturday January 3
- Friday January 2 - alternative collection date Sunday January 4
No garden waste collections will take place between December 22 and January 4. Collections will restart on Monday January 5.
Bins and boxes should be put out by 7am.
Fife
No waste or recycling collections will take place on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
- Thursday December 25 - alternative collection date on Saturday December 27
- Friday December 26 - alternative collection date on Sunday December 28
- Thursday January 1 - alternative collection date on Saturday January 3
- Friday January 2 - alternative collection date Sunday January 4
Midlothian
Bins, including food and glass bins, will not be collected on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day.
- Thursday December 25 - alternative collection date on Saturday December 27
- Friday December 26 - alternative collection date on Sunday December 28
- Thursday January 1 - alternative collection date on Saturday January 3
- Friday January 2 - alternative collection date Sunday January 4
Bins and boxes should be put out for collection by 6.30am.
West Lothian
There will be no grey, blue or green bin collections on Thursdays and Fridays over the festive period, with bins to be put out on the following Monday.
25 and 26 December 2025 and 1 and 2 January 2026, due to the public holidays.
- Thursday December 25 - alternative collection date on Monday December 29
- Friday December 26 - alternative collection date on Monday December 29
- Thursday January 1 - alternative collection date on Monday January 5
- Friday January 2 - alternative collection date Monday January 5
Bins will be collected over the course of the week, so people should leave them out until they are emptied.
No brown bin collections will take place over the two-week festive period, with last collections on Wednesday December 24 and the service resuming on Thursday January 8.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.