The presents have been opened and the turkey eaten, 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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So, if you do end up with excess household waste that can’t be collected this Christmas, you can take it to one of the 16 household waste and recycling centres across Somerset.

We've gathered together all the information you need including locations, opening times and what you can recycle, to make the clean-up operation that little bit easier.

For more information, visit the Somerset Waste Partnership website.

When are Somerset recycling centres open over Christmas?

Somerset’s household waste and recycling centres will be open for their usual winter hours throughout the festive period, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day when they will all be closed. Each site’s opening times are listed below.

Two sites will actually be open for an extra day to help with the Christmas clear-out. These are Dulverton which will be open 9am-5pm on Monday, December 27 and Crewkerne open 9am-5pm on Tuesday, December 28.

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Find your nearest Somerset recycling centre

There are 14 household waste and recycling centres across Somerset. They each operate the same opening days and hours so all you need to do is locate the closest one to you.

There are 16 household waste and recycling centres in Somerset, spread across South West and Taunton, Sedgemoor, South Somerset and Mendip.

Below you can locate your nearest centre and find out the normal opening days, but remember all sites will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Somerset West and Taunton recycling sites

Dulverton Recycling Site opening times
Where: Brushford Road, Dulverton TA22 9AA
Open: Saturday and Sunday 9am-5pm

Minehead Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Mart Rd, Industrial Estate, Minehead TA24 5BJ
Open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Taunton (Priorswood) Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Crown Industrial Estate, Taunton TA2 8QY
Open: Daily 9am-5pm

Wellington (Poole) Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Higher Poole, Wellington TA21 9HW
Open: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Williton Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Roughmoor Industrial Estate, Williton TA4 4RF
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Sedgemoor recycling sites

Bridgwater (Saltlands) Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Saltlands Hwrc, Saltlands Ave, Chilton Trinity, Bridgwater TA6 3JG
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Cheddar Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Wedmore Rd, Cheddar BS27 3EJ
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Highbridge Recycling Centre opening times
Where: 2 Isleport Ln, Highbridge TA9 4JS
Open: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

South Somerset recycling sites

Castle Cary (Dimmer) Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Dimmer Ln, Castle Cary BA7 7JB
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Chard Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Beeching Close, Chard TA20 1BB
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Crewkerne Recycling Site opening times
Where: Blacknell Lane Industrial Estate, Crewkerne, TA18 7HE
Open: Monday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Somerton Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Bancombe Rd, Somerton TA11 6SB
Open: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Yeovil Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Artillery Rd, Lufton Trading Estate, Yeovil BA22 8RP
Open: Daily 9am-5pm

Mendip recycling sites

Frome Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Manor Furlong, Manor Rd, Frome BA11 4RJ
Open: Daily 9am-5pm

Street Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Farm Lane, Street BA16 9PB
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

Wells (Dulcote) Recycling Centre opening times
Where: Dulcote Hill, Dullcote BA5 3PZ
Open: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9am-5pm

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Items accepted at Somerset recycling centres

All household waste materials are being taken, including garden waste across all sites.

Some waste accepted does incur an additional cost including tyres, gas bottles, soil and hardcore and vehicle parts, along with asbestos and plasterboard which require advance booking online. This is because these items are not classed as household waste according to the Controlled Waste Regulations.

For the prices, visit the Somerset Waste Partnership website.

All recycle sites take household plastic bottles including those for milk, bleach, juice, shampoo etc, including bottles from spray cleaners and soap/sanitiser dispensers but you should discard trigger sprays and pumps.

They will also accept household and food rigid plastic pots, tubs and trays, such as those for margarine and yoghurts.

However, they do not take plastic containers from the garage or garden shed, becaue of risks associated with the contents, such as pesticides and brake fluid.