Waste collection during the holidays
Christmas and New Year's are typically busy for Reykjavík City waste collection. Recycling drop-offs see heavy use during this season. To ensure smooth operations, sort waste carefully and use bin space efficiently. Special containers for fireworks debris will be available at ten locations citywide after New Year's.
Waste collection services during holidays
Waste collection is running smoothly despite increased waste volume. The last working day before Christmas is Dec. 23. Work resumes on the third day of Christmas, Saturday, Dec. 27, and continues every day until 10 a.m. on New Year's Eve. Waste collection starts again in the new year on Jan. 2, and crews will also work Saturday, Jan. 3.
Recycling drop-off services during Christmas
Usage of SORPA's recycling drop-offs and recycling centers typically increases this season. Extra shifts have been scheduled around the holidays. We'll focus on emptying paper and plastic containers more often than usual since these materials tend to pile up during this major gift-giving holiday. Extra unloading will happen both before Christmas and between Christmas and New Year's for these containers.
Paper and plastic containers are now at all major recycling drop-offs. We also encourage residents to use containers for glass packaging and metals in the neighborhood container system.
Fireworks debris containers
Reykjavík City will provide containers for fireworks debris at ten recycling drop-offs citywide. Containers will be in place before New Year's Eve, ready for debris on New Year's Day. From January 2, fireworks debris will be accepted at SORPA recycling centers during regular hours. As before, unexploded fireworks go in hazardous waste containers at SORPA recycling centers.
Make sure there are no hidden embers in cake fireworks or other fireworks, and allow them to cool completely before disposing of them in a container, to prevent fire hazards. Hot embers or unexploded fireworks can start fires in waste collection vehicles. Unexploded fireworks should be taken to a Sorpa recycling center for safe disposal.
Locations:
- Vesturbær – Hofsvallagata recycling drop-off (Vesturbæjarlaug)
- Miðborg – Eiríksgata recycling drop-off (near Hallgrímskirkja)
- Hlíðar – Flókagata recycling drop-off (Kjarvalstaðir)
- Laugardalur – Sundlaugavegur recycling drop-off (Laugardalslaug)
- Háaleiti-Bústaðir – Sogavegur recycling drop-off
- Breiðholt – Austurberg recycling drop-off
- Árbær/Selás – Selásbraut recycling drop-off
- Grafarvogur – Spöng recycling drop-off
- Grafarholt-Úlfarsárdalur – Þjóðhildarstígur recycling drop-off (near Krónan)
- Kjalarnes – at the recycling drop-off
Merry Recycling and thank you for sorting!