RESIDENTS have been urged to recycle Christmas paper, cards and trees.

Burnley Council is encouraging people to recycle Christmas cards and non-shiny wrapping paper, together with cans and bottles, through Burnley's doorstep recycling collections.

Waste and recycling collections will also be affected by the Christmas and New Year holidays.

People have been advised to check when their collections will be by looking at the recycling leaflet currently being distributed to every household.

The council is also running a real Christmas tree recycling service with trees being collected between January 14 and 18.

They can be contacted via the contact centre Contact Burnley on 01282 425011 as soon as possible to arrange collection.

Bookings for a collection will not be taken after Wednesday January 9.

The council's rethinking waste officer Helen Ryder said: "The festive season is traditionally a time when people generate a lot of extra bottles, cans and paper, all of which can be recycled rather than thrown in a wheelie bin.

"We'll even come and take away your Christmas tree for recycling once all the festivities are over."

Garden waste collections, which includes biodegradable waste such as grass cuttings and weeds, will be suspended due to limited demand for the service at this time of the year.

Collections will stop today and start up again on Monday January 21.