More than 200 tons of cardboard boxes, plastic, tins and paper are being recycled in Wolverhampton this week as city residents tidy up after Christmas.

Bosses at the recycling depot in Crown Street said that they were expecting to collect more than 42 tons a day, with extra waste including cardboard boxes, wrapping paper and the packaging from Christmas dinners.

All 35 bin and recycling lorries were due to be out on the streets today, with 140 staff working their normal weekday shifts.

A total of 32 bin collectors will be paid an average bonus of £350 each for clearing the backlog of waste on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – at a total cost to taxpayers of £11,200.

Councillor Barry Findlay, Wolverhampton’s environment chief, said: “The service was only suspended for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but our staff will be working the whole of this week, including New Year’s Day, so that residents will have the least possible disruption to their service.

“It is going to be a busy week because of all the extra items people are throwing out, such as the packaging from their Christmas presents.”