"LET'S make it a million Christmas cards!" That's the recycling message to Ipswich people this year.Last year, residents recycled 630,000 or eight tonnes of cards and that effort saved 145 trees, 3,230 gallons of oil, 34,000 kilowatts of energy and 60,000 gallons of water.

"LET'S make it a million Christmas cards!" That's the recycling message to Ipswich people this year.

Last year, residents recycled 630,000 or eight tonnes of cards and that effort saved 145 trees, 3,230 gallons of oil, 34,000 kilowatts of energy and 60,000 gallons of water.

These are the resources needed to produce this weight of paper.

This year, Ipswich Borough Council wants residents to do even better and save one million cards from taking up valuable space in landfill sites.

The council has set up more Christmas card recycling points than ever before, making it even easier to recycle them.

Cards can be taken to any of the town's 50 paper banks, or placed in special collection points at the following locations:

Asda, Goddard Lane

Sainsburys, Hadleigh Road

Morrisons, Sproughton Road

Co-op, Carr Street

Co-op, Rosehill Centre

Ipswich Borough Council, Civic Centre Reception

Tourist Information Centre, St. Stephen's Lane

Lavender Hill Community Shop

The All Hallows, Chantry and Whitton/Whitehouse Area Housing Offices

Most local post offices, in conjunction with the National Federation of Sub Postmasters

Many sheltered housing schemes

Cards are then collected by voluntary group Not Redundant, Recycled who specialise in paper collection for recycling.

Christmas trees can also be recycled. These should be taken to the Household Waste and Recycling Centres at Sir Alf Ramsey Way and Foxhall Road.

They should be placed in the "green waste" containers. The trees will then be recycled at local composting plants into quality soil improver.

For details call Ipswich Borough Council's Recycling Helpline on 01473-433070 or visit the web-site at www.ipswich.gov.uk/services/recycle.