This is when your bin will be emptied over Christmas and New Year in Hartlepool

Hartlepool Borough Council has confirmed that normal waste collection days will change over Christmas and New Year due to bank and public holidays.

The council is also urging residents to recycle as much as possible over the winter break, in a bid to do their bit for the environment.

Most food and drink packaging, newspapers and magazines, envelopes, tins, cans, bottles and jars can be placed in recycle bin, as can Christmas cards without glitter or foil.

Wrapping paper can't be recycled, and cards with glitter and foil must be left out.

Collections will return to normal from Tuesday, January 8 - but make sure you have your changed date in the diary so you don't miss it.

Here is a full list of the altered collection schedule (normal collection day/revised collection day):

Tuesday, December 25 will become Wednesday, December 26

Wednesday, December 26 will become Thursday, December 27

Thursday, December 27 will become Friday, December 28

Friday, December 28 will become Saturday, December 29

Tuesday, January 1 will become Wednesday, January 2

Wednesday, January 2 will become Thursday, January 3

Thursday, January 3 will become Friday, January 4

Friday, January 4 will become Saturday, January 5

If you need to get rid of your real Christmas tree once the festivites are over, you can get rid of it for free at the town's Household Waste Recycling Centre from Thursday, December 27.

The HWRC will be open from 9am until 4pm, with an hour-long closure between 12pm and 1pm, daily. It will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

A collection service for real trees will also be running from Monday, January 7 - but this must be booked in advance. Visit the council website here for more information.