HOUSEHOLDERS are being encouraged to be green when they dispose of their Christmas trees and cards this week.

Hartlepool Borough Council has organised a collection of trees over the next few days.

The trees will be chipped and mixed with other plant waste to create a mulch that will be used on many of the town's parks and gardens - the first time the recycled material has been used in this way.

Residents should place their trees on the edge of their properties where they can be clearly seen, by 7.30am on the day of collection.

Collections will take place in the Elwick and St Hilda wards and the villages of Hart, Elwick and Dalton Piercy today, and at Throston and Dyke House on Monday.

On Tuesday, collections will take place in Jackson and Grange, and in Park, Brinkburn and Rift House on Wednesday, and in Stranton and Seaton on Thursday.

Next Friday, collections will take place in Owton, Fens, Rossmere and Greatham.

The council has also teamed up with the Tees Forest and more than 30 primary schools to recycle Christmas cards.

Card banks have been set up in schools and at the civic amenity site in Burn Road.

The cards will be sent to waste firm SWS for recycling, and for every tonne, the Tees Forest will be planting 100 trees in the area. Each school taking part will receive a free tree