RESIDENTS in Chipping Norton and throughout West Oxfordshire are being urged to help the environment by recycling their Christmas trees after the festive season.

West Oxfordshire District Council will run a free chippings service that will enable residents to take their Christmas trees to various locations where there will be chipping machines in which their trees can be converted into environmentally-friendly biomass energy.

One of the locations will be New Street car park, Chipping Norton, where people will be able to take their trees between 10am and 3pm on Saturday, January 10 Last Christmas, the service collected 10.5 tonnes of chippings for biomass energy.

Cllr David Harvey, the council’s environment cabinet member, said: “The free chipping service is part of the council’s work towards reducing waste, increasing recycling and supporting renewable energy.

“It offers a good opportunity for householders to do their bit and we really hope they will take advantage of it.”

He thanked the Goodwood Tree Care organisation for its help with providing the machines.