THURROCK Council has announced a day's delay is planned for its post christmas bins collections.

Household waste collections from Monday, 26 December to Friday 6 January will be one day later than usual.

For brown garden waste bins, Week 1 collections will take place between Monday, 26 December and Saturday, 31 December; Week 2 collections will take place from Monday, 2 January until Saturday,7 January; then normal brown bin collections will resume from Monday 9 January, starting with Week 1 collections.

More information on Christmas and New Year waste collections are available via the council's website.

The council has also reminded residents of their resposibilites when putting waste into bins, saying it's important to put the right type of waste in each of your bins.

Real Christmas trees can be put in brown bins, residents just need to make sure they are in pieces and the lid is shut down.

There are also some tips on disposing of Christmas

When tidying up after opening your Christmas presents:

• before you bin your wrapping paper, do the 'scrunch test' to see whether it can be recycled – when you scrunch up your wrapping paper if it doesn't spring back, you can safely put it in your blue bin to be recycled
• try to remove all sticky tape from wrapping paper – sticky tape goes in your green/grey bin, wrapping paper without sticky tape goes in your blue bin
• bows and ribbons cannot be recycled and must go in your green/grey bin
• paper, cards and envelopes can be recycled in your blue bin, but any parts with glitter should be removed first and put in your green/grey bin – paper and card with glitter cannot be recycled
• paper name tags without glitter can go in your blue bin

The council is making arrangements to provide a collection van where resdients can dispose of small electrical items for free. The council will publish collection dates and locations on its website when confirmed.

Small electrical items that still work can also be offered to your local re-use organisation or charity shop. Broken items can be taken to the Linford Household Waste and Recycling Centre.