As the festive season draws to a close, schemes for recycling Christmas trees and cards are getting into full swing across Oxfordshire.

West Oxfordshire District Council's environmental policy officer Sara Willis gives Joslyn Beadle a hand to recycle her Christmas cards to support the Hailey Community Woodland project

Special collections and shredding facilities are being arranged to turn thousands of fir trees into compost.

And between January 6 and February 2, WH Smith will be collecting people's greetings cards for recycling on behalf of forest conservation group the Woodland Trust.

In Oxford, Christmas trees can be taken to one of 18 collections points between January 6 and 20, including South Park, the Alexandra Tennis Courts in Middle Way, Summertown, Balfour Road Recreation Ground, Blackbird Leys, and the waste recycling centre at Redbridge.

Cherwell District Council will be collecting trees from doorsteps on Saturday, January 11.

Householders must put their trees -- minus decorations and containers -- out by 7am. Trees taller than 6ft need to be cut in half.

Centres that will be handling trees in the Vale of White Horse, until January 12 include Millets Farm at Frilford Heath, Wyevale garden centres at Chilton and South Hinksey, and waste recycling centres at Drayton and Stanford in the Vale.

Tony de Vere, the Vale's executive member for waste management, said: "Many of the 48,000 households in the Vale will have a real Christmas tree.

"If dumped in a landfill site they would take up a lot of space but by having trees recycled it will reduce the amount of waste going into landfill, while at the same time providing compost."

Until January 11, residents in South Oxfordshire can take their trees to Notcutts Garden Centre, at Nuneham Courtenay, or Root One, in Brightwell-cum-Sotwell.

Collections will also be made at Didcot Civic Hall Car Park on Saturday and Sunday, and at Charter Way, Wallingford, and the cattle market in North Street, Thame, on January 4 and 11, between 8am and noon.

West Oxfordshire District Council will shred Christmas trees for mulch on January 11, between 10am and 2pm, at the following locations: Black Bourton Road Car Park, Carterton; Spendlove Centre, Charlbury; New Street Car Park, Chipping Norton; Well Hill, Finstock; Welch Way Car Park, Witney and Hensington Road Car Park, Woodstock.

Trees may also be taken to the county council's recycling depots at Drayton, Stanton Harcourt, Oakley Wood, Redbridge, in Oxford, Alkerton, near Banbury, Ardley Fields, near Bicester, and Dean Pit, near Chadlington.

A Christmas card recycling scheme will help create a community wood at Hailey, near Witney.

The scheme has been launched by West Oxfordshire District Council and Cleanaway, the waste management company which empties the district's dustbins.

For every 1,000 cards collected before the end of January, the company has agreed to donate a tree to the Hailey Community Woodland project.

The scheme was launched on Christmas Eve at the council's depot, in Station Lane, Witney, with a green promotion message going out on many of the council's recycling containers.

George Kellow, the council's cabinet member for the environment, said: "This is the first Christmas card recycling scheme in West Oxfordshire. The more cards that are recycled, the more the environment will benefit."

The Hailey project is on land near Poffley End and Delly End. Card collection points will be set up at the council's recycling centres in Carterton, Eynsham, Witney, Chipping Norton, Charlbury and Woodstock.