There will be plenty of opportunities for householders to recycle their festive waste at Hampshire’s 24 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs).

The only exceptions are Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, when all HWRCs will be closed.

As well as the usual wrapping paper, gift boxes and cards, Christmas trees can be taken to the green bins, and will be composted with other green garden waste to produce Pro-Grow, a rich soil conditioner.

There is an added bonus on the weekend of 8-9 January, when the first 50 Christmas tree recyclers at each centre can buy a bag of Pro-Grow and get a second one free.

Householders are also being asked to keep their glass until the end of January before taking it to HWRCs for recycling.

Head of Management Resources at Hampshire County Council, Bob Lisney, said: "The glass banks will be very full at the start of the year due to all the extra bottles from the Christmas and millennium celebrations. We’re asking householders to keep hold of their glass for just a little longer if possible to ensure there is sufficient capacity in the banks."

Household bin collections will also be affected by the Christmas closures – contact your local district council for information on revised collection dates.

16 December 1999