Alex Emery tells why you should be dreaming of a green Christmas. Forget dreaming of a white Christmas - environmentalists are hoping this year's festivities will be green.

It may be a while yet before people start to think about taking down their Christmas cards but recycling chiefs at Swindon Council are asking our townsfolk to think ahead.

They have issued a list of checkpoints to ensure our environment has as merry a Christmas as we do.

Andrew Cook, 25, the council's recycling officer, said that the steps are easy to adopt in everyday life, and that anyone can do them.

"Once you start recycling it is quite an easy habit to get into," he said.

"Recycling facilities are already in place in Swindon and we are urging residents to make the most of them this Christmas.

Tips include:

Save some Christmas cards so that they can be cut up to use as tags for presents the following year

Recycle your Christmas tree. After Twelfth Night, you can take it to the recycling centre at Barnfield Road.

Old mobile phones can be recycled if you are lucky enough to receive a new one this Christmas. Contact the Council for a recycling envelope.

Send charity cards made from recycled materials

Try to avoid over packaged goods

Use park and ride schemes for Christmas town centre shopping

Buy bottles with real corks rather than plastic

Residents who use the doorstep recycling service are now able to put out cardboard-based material, as well as their newspapers, magazines and junk mail.

This includes packaging from foodstuffs and traditional cardboard boxes. Mr Cook added: "It is estimated that the total waste collected and diverted from landfill will double because of this improvement.

"Every user of the service will have received a leaflet describing the changes and also providing a calendar of the fortnightly collection dates applicable to their home."

"Each Christmas UK residents produce an additional three million tonnes of waste, most of which goes to landfill sites.

"A lot of it could be easily recycled by following the tips above and using the facilities that are already in place in Swindon."

Fionuala Foley, lead member for Swindon Services, said: "It is important that those who do have a recycling box use the service and play their part in saving the planet's natural resources for future generations.

"Recycling also saves on precious landfill space and avoids the stringent landfill tax charges imposed by Government."

For more information visit www.swindon.gov.uk