WITH Christmas comes joy – and usually lots of waste as kids open their presents on the big day.

Somerset Council is reminding households to take note of changes to recycling and rubbish collections throughout the Christmas period.

There will be no collections on December 25, December 26 or January 1.

During the Christmas week, collections will move forward by two days for those who normally have theirs on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.

Full list of collection dates:

• Wednesday, December 25 collections happen on Friday, December 27

• Thursday, December 26 collections happen on Saturday, December 28

• Friday, December 27 collections happen on: Sunday, December 29

Following the New Year, collections will move forward by one day for the rest of the week.

• Wednesday, January 1 collections happen on Thursday, January 2

• Thursday, January 2 collections happen on Friday, January 3

• Friday, January 3 collections happen on Saturday, January 4

If residents’ usual collection days are a Monday or Tuesday, there will be no changes on either week.

Recycling sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Sites will be open as per their usual schedule at all other times, check Somerset Council’s website for details.

The garden waste collection service will be suspended for two weeks from Wednesday, December 25 and collections resume on Wednesday, January 8.

Garden waste service subscribers can leave their decoration-free tree out with their first collection of the year, so long as it is no taller than two metres (6ft).

Trees will not be collected from the kerbside unless the household subscribes to the garden waste service.

Many charities, community organisations and groups are running tree collection or drop-off services, raising money for good causes.

Check Just Helping online for details.

Trees can also be taken to any of Somerset’s recycling sites and put in the garden waste skip.