The council has reminded residents who are taking part in the new waste and recycling scheme that they must put all their rubbish in the containers provided once Christmas is over. From the middle of January, side waste will not be collected if it is l

The council has reminded residents who are taking part in the new waste and recycling scheme that they must put all their rubbish in the containers provided once Christmas is over.

From the middle of January, 'side waste' will not be collected if it is left on or near the official containers.

Councillor David Cox, EDDC's portfolio holder for StreetScene, said: "We are now confident that everyone has the correct containers and we need to start encouraging people to recycle as much as possible.

"Having the option of leaving 'overflow' items near the standard containers can lead to a reduction in the quantity of materials being recycled, so we want to discourage this practice.

"We are aware that people may have a need to put extra items out for collection in the week immediately following the Christmas holiday. But once the first collection of the New Year has been completed, we will NOT be collecting side waste.