Residents across Ashby and North West Leicestershire are being encouraged to reuse and recycle as much of their Christmas waste as they can over the festive period.

With household waste increasing by around a third over the Christmas period, North West Leicestershire District Council is urging residents to think carefully about what to do with it at this time of year.

Residents in the district are provided with red boxes for glass, separate red boxes for plastic, cans and tins, a blue bag for paper, a yellow bag for cardboard and a brown lidded bin for garden waste.

Find out how to recycle some popular festive items using the list below:

• Real Christmas trees should be put inside the garden bin (not next to it) so they can be recycled into compost. The bid lid should fully close so trees may need to be trimmed/cut in order to fit.

• Residents can also take real Christmas trees to one of Leicestershire County Council's Recycling and Household Waste Sites.

• Batteries and mobile phones should always be kept out of the black bin as they are a fire risk. Used batteries and old mobile phones can be put in a lidded, recyclable container (e.g. jam jar or plastic takeaway tub) and put it out next to the red boxes for collection.

• Wrapping paper can be put in the blue bag if it cannot be reused and passes 'the scrunch test'. Scrunch the wrapping paper into a ball, if it stays scrunched it can be recycled. If it springs back, it should be put in the black bin instead. Brown wrapping paper should be recycled in the yellow bag.

• Extra cardboard that does not fit in the yellow bag should be flattened to no larger than 2ft x 2ft and left neatly at the side of the recycling containers.

• Small electrical items such as fairy lights should be kept out of the black bin. They can be taken to one of Leicestershire County Council's Recycling and Household Waste Sites.

• Advent calendars can be taken apart and recycled. Recycle the plastic tray in the red box with plastic/cans/tins. The cardboard shell can be recycled in the yellow bag.

• Extra recycling that does not fit in the red box can be left in a container such as a washing up bowl or plastic storage box. Glass should still be kept separate.

• Clean foil from covering food and aluminium food trays can be recycled in the red box with plastic, cans and tins.

• Tinsel unfortunately cannot be recycled. If it has lost its sparkle and can't be reused, it will need to be disposed of in the black bin.

• Food waste can be reduced by planning ahead, using up leftovers and storing food correctly. Head to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com for plenty of tips and advice on reducing food waste.

Residents can help the council to recycle more by rinsing their recycling, keeping it clean and of high quality.

Squeezing and squashing plastic and cans means residents can fit more in their recycling containers and the council can fit more in the recycling lorries.

This results in less trips to unload the recycling lorries which means fewer miles are travelled, requiring less fuel and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Councillor Andrew Woodman, Portfolio Holder for Community Services at NWLDC, said: "Christmas this year will be a smaller, quieter affair for many but we should all still look to minimise the amount of food and black bin waste we create.

"Therefore, we're encouraging everyone to recycle as much as they can over the festive period. Recycling is one small act that we can do everyday to help protect the planet and its resources.

"Recycling just one aluminium drink can saves enough energy to power a television for three hours so every item recycled counts and can help to make a difference."

Residents can find out more about recycling in North West Leicestershire at www.nwleics.gov.uk/recycling