BOURNEMOUTH council is hoping recycled Christmas trees could help it match last year’s record-breaking figures for green waste.

From today, residents can put their tree out for collection on the day of their normal “little bin” refuse collection.

Anyone who misses their collection day can take their tree to Millhams Household Recycling Centre or Kings Park collection point which will run on January 15 and 22 from 9am-1pm.

Last year, Christmas tree recycling helped the council collect a record 3,980 tonnes of green waste, up more than 500 tonnes on the previous year. Cllr Michael Filer, cabinet member for technical services, said: “The success of our green waste scheme is one of the reasons why Bournemouth is fourth best in the UK for recycling.”

The borough has 26,500 households on its green waste collection scheme. The 1,700 on a waiting list will be told later this month whether the scheme will be extended to include them. In previous years, the council has been able to expand the scheme to include everyone on the waiting list.