Cornwall Council has said it will not be collecting real Christmas trees from households this year – unless they are part of a paid subscription service.

Normally the council picks up trees from outside people’s homes at the same time as the waste collection, on two weeks in January.

However, the council said this year it would only be collecting them from houses that have subscribed to its garden waste collection service.

It claimed this was “in line with most other local authorities.”

As a result the council is asking residents to think about how they will dispose of real Christmas trees before they buy one.

People who do not have a garden waste subscription can chip and compost their tree at home or take it to their local Household Waste and Recycling Centre for composting.

The council said it was advising people to “use the opportunity to take other items to avoid multiple trips.”

It added that alternatively people could buy a tree with roots and replant it for next year.

Councillor Carol Mould: “We know that some people will be disappointed that we are unable to collect trees this year, however this additional service costs a significant amount of money which is ultimately funded by council tax-payers.

“If people want to have a real Christmas tree, we urge them to think ahead and plan how they intend to dispose of it.”

If you subscribe to the council’s garden waste collection service, you can put your tree out next to your bin or bag on your usual garden waste collection day in the New Year.

Household Waste and Recycling Centres will be open 9am to 4pm throughout the festive period except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.