With every Suffolk resident expected to throw away around 50 kilos of waste over Christmas, waste experts are reminding the public to recycle rather than give to landfill this Christmas.

In Suffolk last year residents recycled 500 tonnes more in January than in December - the equivalent of an extra 76,000 recycling bins - making January the top month for recycling.

With thousands of cards, electrical items, CDs, DVDs, cartons and glass bottles waiting to be recycled people are being urged to visit local Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs), which will be open and ready to take excess recycling from tomorrow, December 27, through to December 31.

In November, nearly 80pc of all material collected at HWRCs was recycled.

Councillor Lisa Chambers, Suffolk County Council's portfolio holder for waste, said: 'We are all so busy at Christmas, reducing, reusing and recycling our waste may not be at the forefront of people's minds. Most of us have extra waste at this time at year, which is why the HWRCs provide such a great service for residents and only close on Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.'

• For a full list of materials accepted at HWRCs and opening times over the festive period visit www.suffolkrecycling.org.uk.