REVELLERS have been urged to make sure their bins don't expand with their waistlines this Christmas.

Lancashire County Council has issued the appeal after it was revealed that of the one ton of waste each household throws away in a year, half is disposed of over the festive break.

During the festive period we all make more rubbish, from packaging to glass bottles and left over food.

Last year in Lancashire, 25,351 tons of waste was recycled over thirteen sites in the area. That's equivalent to the weight of 3,110 double decker buses.

Of that, 619 tonnes came from glass bottles and jars, equivalent to 1,698 bags of sugar and 2,382 tons came from recycled paper or a staggering 13,052 boxes of cornflakes a day.

County Councillor Brian Johnson, Cabinet Member for Community and Regeneration, said: "It is important for people to realise that they can reduce their rubbish by shopping sensibly.

"All too often at Christmas people buy more than they need and end up throwing away a lot of stuff, so by shopping sensibly we can all help the environment and maybe save ourselves money."

So to help people reduce their waste over this festive period Lancashire County Council are offering five tips to show people how they can beat the bin bag bulge.

This doesn't mean becoming a Scrooge. By following these simple tips everyone can cut down on their rubbish and help to keep their bin slim:

Where possible try and buy things in bulk or with less packaging.

When you go shopping for Christmas take your own shopping bags rather than relying on plastic carrier bags from the shops. A reusable shopping bag may be a good idea as a present for someone and is less likely to break as you cross the road.

Think about buying rechargeable batteries that you can use again and again for toys and other gifts.

Before you go shopping for food think carefully about just how much you will need. It's easy to buy too much but with just a little thought you can save yourself waste and money.

Recycle as much as you can by using your local Household Waste Recycling Centre or Recycling point. To find your nearest recycling point visit www.lancswasteinfo.com and click on the Bring Site section.