The presents have been opened and the turkey eaten and next comes the big clean-up. If your bins are usually overflowing during the festive period, here’s when you can take a trip to the tip over Christmas.

Along with being “the most wonderful time of the year”, Christmas is also a time of accumulating rubbish and recycling – from wrapping paper to old electrical items, in with the new generally means out with the old.

With all this waste, it’s handy if you can get rid of some of it without having to wait for the next Kerbside collection.

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If you're making a trip to the Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole Recycling Centres, you must take identification with you to prove you live in one of these areas, otherwise you will be turned away.

Accepted ID includes a current Council Tax bill, photocard driving licence or a utility bill showing your name and address.

To make sure you don't end up stuck in a queue for hours, you can download the council's Tip Check app which works on a traffic light system, indicating how busy the recycling centres are at any given time.

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Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Recycling Centre Christmas opening times

Bournemouth Recycling Centre
Where: Ringwood Road, Bournemouth, BH11 9LQ

Poole Recycling Centre
Where: 92 to 98 Nuffield Road, Poole, BH17 0RS

Christchurch Recycling Centre
Where: Wilverley Road, Somerford, Christchurch, BH23 3RU

Recycling Centre Christmas and new year opening times

  • Friday, December 24: open 9am to 4pm
  • Saturday, December 25: closed 
  • Sunday, December 26: closed
  • Monday, December 27: open 9am to 4pm
  • Tuesday, December 28: open 9am to 4pm
  • Wednesday, December 29: open 9am to 4pm
  • Thursday, December 30: open 9am to 4pm
  • Friday, December 31: open 9am to 4pm
  • Saturday, January 1: closed

Items you can take to BCP recycling sites

The following materials are recycled, composted, reused or recovered at  Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole recycling centres.

  • Large household items (fridges, computers, televisions, mattresses and furniture etc)
  • Garden waste (excluding invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed and hogwort)
  • All kinds of wood and metal
  • Tyres
  • Household paints, garden pesticides and chemicals (must be clearly identifiable)
  • Rubble/soil
  • Car batteries, household batteries and oil (up to 5L of fuel/oil in their own containers - decanting may not be possible)
  • Light bulbs and fluorescent tubes
  • Gas bottles
  • Textiles (clothes, shoes, linen etc)
  • Books, CDs and DVDs
  • Excess recycling (paper, cardboard, cans, glass and plastic bottles)
  • Excess household refuse

Items you cannot take to BCP recycling sites

  • Clinical Waste (for example waste containing human or animal bodily fluids)
  • Hypodermic needles 
  • Ammunition 
  • Flares
  • Caravans, boats or car parts