Christmas may fill our homes with treats – but it leaves our waste bins bulging.

Crackers, gifts, wrapping paper and food put smiles on our faces throughout the festive season, but they leave us with acres of packaging. In the UK, on average, every household will throw away an extra five bags of waste over Christmas, adding up to 736,571 tonnes of refuse.

Batteries, bottles, cans, cardboard and Christmas trees are just some of the items that add to the piles of waste we accumulate over the holiday.

But the amount can be much reduced if we recycle. In common with other parts of the country, householders in Bradford are being asked to think about disposing of waste in a way that will reduce its impact on the environment.

Says Councillor Andrew Thornton, Bradford Council’s executive member for environment, sport and sustainability: “We wish everyone a great time but we want to remind them to keep recycling. The amount of waste generated can jump by as much as a third during the festive period, so it’s really important to recycle as much as possible.”

The eight Bradford Council household waste recycling centres in the district will be open on every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. These accept a wide range of items including cardboard, bottles and jars, textiles and electronic products.

Cards that do not have foil or glitter on them can be recycled at the centres. Many retailers also have card recycling points, where they are collected for donation to the conservation charity The Woodland Trust. If everyone in the UK recycles just one Christmas card in January, the trust will be able to plant more than 60,000 trees.

Marks & Spencer is among the participating stores. Head of sustainable business Mike Barry, says: “This is a fantastic campaign which provides a really easy way for everyone to get involved in planting new woodland and preserving important natural habitats by doing something as simple as dropping your old Christmas cards off at an M&S store.”

In the UK we send 744 million Christmas cards each year, which makes up 11 per cent of our festive rubbish. Christmas trees account for a further 18 per cent, and food waste 27 per cent, says the national recycling campaign for England.

The amount of waste generated may mean householders’ recycling bins fill up quickly.

“If people have more than will fit in their normal containers they can put it out in bags and it will be collected,” says Coun Thornton. Recycling stickers have been distributed to homes detailing changes to collections over Christmas.

In Bradford, people living on a garden waste collection round can leave trees at the kerbside. They can also be taken to household waste recycling centres where they will be collected and taken to facilities at Esholt to be shredded and composted.

A number of garden centres – Stephen H Smith in Wilsden, Tong Garden Centre in Tong Village, ACW Garden Centre in Canal Road and Woodbank Garden Centre in Harden will also be taking trees.

Many people have a clear out after Christmas, throwing unwanted goods away. They should bear in mind that charity shops can benefit. “It is surprising how many people throw things like clothing away,” says Anne-Marie Bannister, manager of the British Heart Foundation in Ivegate, “What we don’t sell in our shops is sold to be recycled, which makes money for us.”

The charity – which has three shops in Bradford and one in Shipley – recycles clothing, books, shoes and handbags. The shop in Westgate specialises in secondhand furniture and electrical goods.

Manger Steven Beanland says: “We welcome any unwanted gifts or secondhand goods that people have replaced. We get a lot of donations at Christmas – things like hair dryers and straighteners, curling tongs, kettles and toasters.”

At home, leftover food can be used for soups, stews or cold sandwiches, while vegetable peelings can be composted. Tips on recycling food can be found on the Government-backed Love Food Hate Waste website.

Green party councillor for Shipley Kevin Warnes says how, with a little thought, it is easy to be green at Christmas. But, he adds, their efforts don’t have to end at home.

“If people are feeling more ambitious, they could review their New Year travel arrangements. In particular, if they are considering flying abroad for a foreign holiday or weekend break, they may wish to bear in mind that the average European flight produces more than 400kg of carbon pollution per passenger.”

Visit bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/ recycling or lovefoodhatewaste. com.