The festive season is still very much in full swing for many of us, but

the fun has to come to an end at some point, and the surest sign that

it's back to business as usual in many households is the demise of the

Christmas tree *sniff*. Where can you dispose of your tree and other

festive bumph sustainably in Islington?

Fortunately, bidding a fond farewell to the tree could not be easier:

Islington Council has told residents that they can simply leave their

tree outside the front door along with the usual 'green waste' and it will be taken away for recycling on the normal collection day.

If you want to feel smug, it's worth noting that this is a much better service than what's being offered by some neighbouring boroughs, which are insisting that residents chop the tree into pieces no larger than a certain length; a task that nobody wants to contemplate after a week of too much sherry!

If you miss the boat on collection day, there are still plenty of options for disposing of your tree free of charge. The trusty Re-use and Recycling Centre opposite Caledonian Road Tube will be accepting Christmas Trees until 16th January, which is a good ten days after Twelfth Night, so pretty decent of them, really! The Centre is closed on New Year's Day, but is otherwise now open every day from 8am till 8pm, opening at 8.30 am on Sundays.

Additionally, there will be sites in four Islington parks where you can

take your Christmas tree between 3 January and 16 January: Kings

Square, Rosemary Gardens, Elthorne Park and Barnard Park. All trees are recycled into compost for council parks and green spaces, making Islington an even greener and more attractive place to live in 2011!