COLLECTIONS of refuse and recycling bins by councils across Comet country have changed for the Christmas and New Year period. But Stevenage Borough Council is not being weighed down by festive rubbish and say residents cannot leave out wrapping paper, car

COLLECTIONS of refuse and recycling bins by councils across Comet country have changed for the Christmas and New Year period.

But Stevenage Borough Council is not being weighed down by festive rubbish and say residents cannot leave out wrapping paper, cardboard, Christmas cards and envelopes for recycling.

The council says cardboard and wrapping paper can be taken to the new household waste and recycling centre in Caxton Way, cards to Tesco stores, WH Smith or TK Maxx, while trees can be shredded at Fairlands Valley showground, the recycling centre in Caxton Way or the Van Hage Garden Centre on the Hertford Road.

Mid Beds District Council will be picking up all Christmas waste and is advising residents to leave their wrapping, cards and envelopes in green-lidded bins or orange sacks.

"So can corrugated cardboard in small A4 pieces and all those seasonal television magazines, newspapers and mounds of catalogues and junk mail that come through your door," said a council spokesman.

Normal collection services will resume in Mid Beds and North Herts on January 8, and in Stevenage on January 15.

The new bin collection dates are in italics.

If you live in Mid Beds your new bin collection timetable is: December 25/December 23, December 26/December 27, December 27/December 28, December 28/December 29, December 29/December 30, January 1/January 2, January 2/ January 3, January 3/January 4, January 4/January 5, January 5/January 6.

Stevenage collections: December 25/December 27, December 26/December 28, December 27/December 29, December 28/December 30, December 29/January 2, January 1/January 3, January 2/January 4, January 3/January 5, January 4/January 6, January 5/January 8, January 8/January 9, January 9/January 10, January 10/January 11, January 11/January 12, January 12/January 13.

North Herts District Council: December 25/January 2, December 26/January 3 - on both these dates there will be a double collection so extra sacks will be provided, January 1/January 2, January 2/January 3. Recycling collections: December 25/January 8, December 26/January 9, January 1/January 2, January 2/January 3.