Changes to council services over Christmas and New Year

Hastings Borough Council’s offices will be closed from 12.30pm on Tuesday 24 December and will reopen on Thursday 2 January 2025.

Waste and recycling collections will be slightly different over Christmas and New Year (see table below). You can check your collection days anytime using the council’s waste collection lookup at www.hastings.gov.uk/waste_recycling/lookup.

Waste and recycling collections will return to normal from Monday 13 January 2025.

Bulky waste collections will be suspended from Monday 23 December and restart on Wednesday 8 January 2025. Garden waste collections are suspended from Wednesday 25 December and restart on Wednesday 8 January 2025. 

While collection dates have changed over Christmas, what can and can't be recycled has not. Please remember wrapping paper with glitter and foil and cards with glitter cannot be recycled.

There are still lots of items that can be recycled, including:

• Envelopes
• Wrapping paper that passes the 'scrunch' test - if the paper doesn't spring back when you scrunch it, it can be recycled
• Christmas cards – with glitter, ribbon, etc removed.
• Food and drinks cans
• Metal lids from bottles and jars
• Clean kitchen foil and foil food trays
• ;Plastic bottles (squashed and lids put back on)
• Plastic food pots, tubs, and trays
• Glass bottles and jars (lids off please)
• Batteries and small electrical items (These must not be put in the bin. On collection day, these should be placed in a small carrier bag on top of either the green or black bin or in weekly collection areas, next to the black bags or seagull-proof sack).

A full list of what can and can’t be recycled can be found at https://www.hastings.gov.uk/waste_recycling/recycling/

For those signed up for the council’s garden waste service, Christmas trees can be placed in brown bins for collection. These need to be cut into four-inch pieces so it is fully contained in the bin. Whole trees will not be collected. Garden waste collections restart on Wednesday 8 January 2025. 

For those not signed up for garden waste collections, composting a Christmas tree is a great environmentally friendly way to dispose of it. Alternatively, trees can be taken to the local household waste recycling site. You can find details of opening hours at https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/rubbish-recycling/household-waste-recycling-sites/escc-hastingshwrs.

Over the festive period, there will also be changes to other services, such as dates of free parking in council-owned car parks, and where to report any issues during the council office closure.

Cllr Julia Hilton, Leader of Hastings Borough Council, explained:

"Even though Hastings Borough Council’s offices will be officially closed over Christmas and New Year, there will still be lots of council staff working, including those managing the out-of-hours service, Cemetery and Crematorium, West Hill lift, and Hastings Museum & Art Gallery.

“If anyone has any issues during the office closedown, these can easily be reported using My Hastings. This includes reporting missed bins, fly tips, problems with car parks, dog fouling and noise complaints. My Hastings also allows council tax and benefits accounts to be linked, so payments and details can be checked anytime, anywhere.

“For any emergencies or issues that require urgent attention, please contact the council's 24/7 out-of-hours service on 01424 451999.”