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Real Christmas tree to get rid of in Stratford-upon-Avon? There are four easy ways, and two of them are free: the district council collects trees from your home in January, and if you pay for a green bin you can cut your tree up and put it in. Twelfth Night, the traditional day to take the decorations down, is 5 January.
On this page
Dates for January 2027 haven’t been announced yet. Below are last winter’s arrangements, which are a good guide; we’ll update this page as soon as the council and the Shakespeare Hospice publish this year’s dates.
The quick answer
- Free, from your doorstep: the council’s January Christmas tree collection (no green bin subscription needed).
- Free, if you have a green bin: cut the tree up so it fits, lid closed.
- For charity: the Shakespeare Hospice’s Treecycle collection, for a donation.
- Do it yourself: take it to Burton Farm recycling centre at Bishopton.
1. The council’s free Christmas tree collection
Last winter Stratford-on-Avon District Council collected real Christmas trees from 9 to 23 January 2026. You didn’t need a garden waste subscription. The council’s rules were:
- Take off all the lights and decorations.
- Cut any tree taller than 5ft in half.
- Leave it outside, clear of the public highway (so not blocking the pavement or road).
Check the council’s Christmas recycling and rubbish collections page for this winter’s dates, usually published in December.
2. Your green garden waste bin
If you subscribe to the council’s garden waste service, you can chop the tree up and put it in your green bin. It needs to fit inside with the lid closed.
Green bin collections pause over Christmas: last year there were none from 27 December to 8 January, and they started again on 9 January. Our bin collection guide has the Christmas changes for every bin.
3. The Shakespeare Hospice Treecycle collection
The Shakespeare Hospice runs a Treecycle collection each January: you book online, make a donation (the minimum was £15 last time) and leave your tree out by 8am on collection day, and volunteers take it away. The last one was on 8 and 9 January 2026 and covered Stratford (CV37) and a wide area around it, including CV35, CV36, CV47, B49, B50, B95 and GL55.
Bookings usually open in December on the Shakespeare Hospice website.
4. Burton Farm recycling centre
Burton Farm recycling centre (Bishopton, CV37 0RW) takes garden waste, and at the moment you don’t need to book. Take off the decorations and any stand or pot first.
- Winter hours (1 October to 31 March): Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3.15pm, Saturday and Sunday 8.30am to 4.15pm.
- Over Christmas: it closes at 12.30pm on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, and is closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
- Vehicles: there are restrictions on vans, pick-ups, trailers and large 4x4s. Cyclists are welcome.
Check Warwickshire County Council’s Burton Farm page before you go, as arrangements can change.
Please don’t fly-tip it
A tree dumped in a layby or on a verge is fly-tipping, and with a free collection on offer there’s no need. If you can’t use any of the options above, ask a neighbour with a green bin or wait for the council collection.
Questions
When should I take my Christmas tree down?
Traditionally on Twelfth Night, 5 January. The council’s collection has started just after this in recent years (9 January last winter).
Is the Christmas tree collection free?
Yes. Last winter the district council collected trees free of charge between 9 and 23 January, with no garden waste subscription needed. The Shakespeare Hospice collection asks for a donation.
Can I put my Christmas tree in the green bin?
If you subscribe to the garden waste service, yes: cut it up so it fits inside with the lid closed. Collections pause over Christmas and New Year.
Alex Harrington
Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.
