An annual campaign that encourages residents to recycle real Christmas trees has raised £1,150 for the Royal British Legion.

Nottinghamshire County Council, in conjunction with Veolia, its waste management contractor, urges people to take real festive trees to their local recycling centre in January.

They are shredded for composting or chipped for use in parks and gardens, rather than taken to landfill or left to rot at the bottom of the garden.

As well as helping the environment by reducing the amount of waste going to incineration, the scheme creates a useful commodity and raises money for charity.

For every 50 tonnes of Christmas trees sent for recycling throughout January, Veolia donated £100 to the Royal British Legion — the chosen charity of council chairman Coun Sybil Fielding.

With the final total making 567.13 tonnes, representatives from Veolia were at County Hall to present Coun Fielding with a cheque for £1,150.

Pictured are Matthew Spaul, Veolia’s general manager for the East Midlands, and Coun Sybil Fielding, with the cheque.