VALE Royal Borough Council has the highest recycling rate in the North West, according to official figures.

Statistics released by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) show 42% of household waste was recycled and composted by people in the borough this year, compared to 27% nationally.

The figure is a 40% increase from the same period last year and lead councillor for environmental management Malcolm Gaskill said: 'This is great news.

'More people than ever are recycling in Vale Royal and with the introduction of the new plastic recycling scheme, which was not included in these figures, next year's results will be even better.'

And Cllr Gaskill is keen for residents to continue their good work after the festive period. He said: 'People should recycle as much of their waste as possible. Last year there was a dip in recycling during the Christmas week and a lot of cans and glass bottles found their way into the green rubbish bins.

'If you have too much recycling for your containers, you can leave it in plastic carrier bags or storage boxes next to your usual containers.

'A great deal of the waste at Christmas is from the festive table, why not give yourself an early New Year present and order a composter for as little as £4?

'Christmas cards can be recycled at your local Tesco, TK Maxx or WH Smiths as part of the Woodland Trust Scheme.

'There are lots of ways to keep waste down, take your re-usable shopping bags to the supermarket and leave behind surplus packaging, and think about re-using wrapping paper and gift bags.'