East Devon District Council is calling on residents to avoid putting "valuable" recyclable items into their waste bins.

Posting a picture of one Seaton household's bin on Facebook containing an assortment of recyclable materials, the local authority said: "We need everyone’s help.

"Some households are still putting valuable recycling into their waste bins.

"Cardboard, plastic bottles, aluminium drinks cans and trays, can all be put into your recycling containers for collection at the kerb-side.

"Please help us recover as many valuable materials as possible to benefit the environment and the economy."

The council has encouraged people to visit its official website for comprehensive information on recycling and disposal methods: https://eastdevon.gov.uk/.../a-z-of-recycling-and-disposals/.

"Thank you for recycling as much as you can," the council added.

The council has also reminded locals about return schemes for hard-to-recycle items, which are advertised by producers and retailers.

A spokesperson said: "Some hard-to-recycle items that we are unable to collect at kerb-side can be recycled using producer return schemes, e.g., coffee pods or front of store take back schemes, e.g., plastic bags and flexible packaging.

"Producers and retailers advertise their schemes widely but please note they may not be available at all locations."