With an increase in food packing, boxes, cards and wrapping paper being used during the festive period, local people are encouraged to make use of their green bags or bins and purple sacks.

So what can be recycled?

Wrapping paper

Christmas cards

Christmas crackers

Cardboard boxes and paper-based packaging

Glass and plastic bottles

Jars

Tins

However, residents are asked to remove any non-recyclable materials from the paper packaging - such as any plastic, ribbons or polystyrene. To maximise the capacity of the green bins, ensure that any boxes are broken down and flattened or filled with paper themselves. And if there’s any excess, this can be taken to one of the recycling centres across Allerdale.

Councillor Michael Heaslip, Executive Member for Locality and Environmental Quality, said: “Christmas is a busy time for many people, so we want to make recycling as easy as possible. We would ask residents to consider this when they are buying items – can it be recycled or is there an alternative? By providing people with some tips to help them think twice, we hope to see people make the most of the Council’s recycling service and reduce waste.”

For more information on recycling in Allerdale, including collection dates and locations of the Household Waste Recycling Centres, visit the Council’s website on www.allerdale.gov.uk/recycling