SLIMMING your bin over Christmas will not be an easy task but households are being urged to recycle as much waste as possible during the festive period.

One Malvern household is already expert at dealing with its waste after taking part in the Worcestershire County Council 'Slim Your Bin' campaign.

Mark Dodsworth, Carol Hunter and their children Sian and Leigh, of Farley Road, were already keen recyclers when they volunteered to take part in a pilot scheme to reduce their waste.

But Mr Dodsworth said the scheme had helped to concentrate their minds and they did manage to reduce their waste.

"My daughter now sorts her waste in her bedroom and separates the paper and cardboard from the rest," he said.

His advice to other people keen to recycle is to find out where all the recycling points are.

"It's not always very clear. For example, there's only one place where you can recycle aluminium and foil in Malvern, and that's at Somerfield.

"The other problem is a practical one and one I know Worcester-shire County Council is dealing with and that's having to get into your car and drive to the recycling point. Kerbside collection is the only serious way to recycle," he said.

Recycling officer, Rachel Parker, said overall, households in Malvern which took part in the pilot scheme managed a total reduction of 12 per cent for the month with one householder achieving 72 per cent.

"The most significant differences were made by recycling all types of paper including cardboard and junk mail and by composting. These two measures alone can reduce your waste by 50 per cent," she said.

Worcestershire County Council has come up with a list of top tips for enjoying a green Christmas this year.

These include saving wrapping paper for next year, keeping your best Christmas cards and using them to make gift tags, composting all those sprout peelings, putting chocolate foil into recycling can banks and taking your Christmas tree to a Household Waste Site for composting.