This Is Cheshire

Don't forget to recycle your trees and cards

From the archive, first published Thursday 3rd Jan 2008.

CHRISTMAS might now be a distant memory and your real Christmas tree may be looking tired and old.

But don't forget that your tree still has a use even after the festivities, that is if you recycle it.

There were an estimated eight million real trees bought this year and, instead of putting them into landfill sites, they can be used to make valuable compost or mulch.

The Mersey Forest and United Utilities have joined forces to urge families to go green and recycle their Christmas trees and cards.

Andy Cutts, waste minimisation and recycling manager for Warrington Borough Council, said: "We would encourage everyone to recycle their real Christmas trees and help make it our best year yet."

You can recycle your Christmas tree in the garden waste containers at Gatewarth Community Recycling Centre, on Gatewarth Industrial Estate, Barnard Street and Woolston Community Recycling Centre, off New Cut Lane.

The sites are open every day from 8am until 4pm.

You can also recycle Christmas cards at all WH Smith stores, Tesco supermarkets including some Express stores, TK Maxx and Marks and Spencer as part of The Woodland Trust's Christmas Card Recycling Scheme.

The collection runs from January 2 to January 30 and aims to recycle 100 million cards across the country.