WE’RE ready for your empties! That’s the message from the county’s recycling centres as they prepare for their busiest period of the year.

They’re standing by to receive boot-fulls of bottles, a torrent of trees and crates full of cards as the festive season comes to an end for another year.

In the past some recycling centres have struggled to cope with the aftermath of the festive season – last year some supermarkets’ recycling areas were overflowing by the new year as people took their empties to the nearest bottle bank.

But a spokesman for the county council insisted all its centres were geared up for the expected rush over the next few days.

They may be closed today, but they are ready for a stampede during the rest of the week.

The spokesman said: “This is a very busy time for all our recycling centres, and we are expecting – and hoping – people come along with their trees, cards, bottles, and anything else from Christmas that can be recycled.

“After New Year’s Day they will be open for their normal hours, 9am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 10am to 4pm on Sunday. They may be busy, but there will be plenty of opportunity for people to leave their recyleable waste there.”

In most areas cards can also be put in recycling bins for home collection and real Christmas trees can be cut up and put in brown bins for composting.

Bottles, however, do need to be taken to your nearest bank for recycling.

Companies which specialise in recycling glass are geared up for the expected peak in demand as the celebrations of Christmas and the New Year result in a glut of empty bottles as people tidy up after a fortnight of festivities.