A new guide to recycling and a 2014 waste and recycling calendar are being delivered to homes around St Albans District before Christmas.

St Albans District Council will be providing information to households in flats in the New Year.

The guide aims to provide information about what residents can recycle now that the new scheme is in place, including a much wider range of plastics.

This is the first Christmas where residents can place all non-metallic, non-sparkly wrapping and cards in your recycling box with paper and cardboard.

There is now also no need to remove windows from envelopes or tape and staples from cardboard. These can now be removed in the recycling process.

Councillor Daniel Chichester-Miles, Portfolio Holder for Environment for the council, said: “Last year an average of 98kg of rubbish per person was sent to landfill during the Christmas season.

“A lot of local people are very keen recyclers, but every tonne of waste that isn’t recycled costs £90 in landfill tax and is harmful to the environment. Local taxpayers are paying hundreds of thousands of pounds annually to bury waste that could be recycled. Most plastics can now be recycled and you can put your non-sparkly, non-metallic cards in your recycling box with your paper and cardboard.

“Food waste can go in your green bin or you can compost it for the garden.”

Residents who have not yet received a guide, can download it at http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/recyclingguide or call 01727 819285.

Christmas trees can also be taken to local Household Waste Recycling Centre, or if it is small enough, it can go in your green bin.

Some garden centres will collect trees for a small fee, including Aylett Nurseries on 01727 822255.