NEW Forest residents are being encouraged to keep recycling through the festive season as the countdown to Christmas begins.

Household items including paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, tins, cans and aerosols can be recycled in the clear sack distributed to residents, while glass bottles, jars, clothes and shoes need to be taken to a recycling bank.

Wrapping paper, juice cartons and plastic pots and tubs can’t be recycled in the area.

Instead, they should be placed in the black rubbish sack, which will be taken to Marchwood Energy Recovery Facility.

New Forest District Council’s portfolio holder for the environment Cllr Edward Heron said: “Christmas is a busy time but I would like to urge everyone to keep up the good recycling effort that we’ve seen during the rest of the year.

“We’ve recycled or composted around a third of our rubbish this year and would like residents to help us do even better in 2013.”

Christmas Eve will be a normal collection day – there will be no collections on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

All collections will return to normal on January 7.

Christmas tree drop-off points will be open from January 2 to January 13 – find locations at newforest.gov.uk