A NORTHWICH accountancy firm has teamed up with Marks & Spencer and the Woodland Trust to recycle Christmas Cards and plant more trees.

Bennett Brooks is collecting for M&S’ Christmas Card Recycling Scheme and for every 1,000 cards they collect the high street store will plant one tree for the Woodland Trust.

The accountants, on Winnington Avenue, has so far collected upwards of 12,000 cards, meaning 12 trees will be planted.

A spokesperson said: “Our head office in Northwich uses on average 15,000 sheets of paper a week. That’s the equivalent of one tree a week.

“So we’ve ensured that 12 trees are planted (three months worth of paper) to compensate for our usage.

“We want to make sure our old Christmas cards are put to good use. We’re therefore asking for your help to collect cards.”

More than 10million cards were dropped off at M&S stores last year, resulting in the planting of more than 10,000 trees with the Woodland Trust.

“It’s win, win,” said Jo Mathieson of the Woodland Trust. “By recycling cards via the M&S Recycling Scheme, you are playing a key part in turning unwanted waste into much needed trees!

“The UK is woefully short of trees with only 13 per cent woodland cover compared to the EU average of 37 per cent.

“By dropping your cards off, you’re helping us plant new woodlands or, to think of it another way, grow new homes for hundreds of species, from dormice to woodpeckers, beetles to butterflies.”

This is the first of many recycling projects Bennett Brooks has planned throughout 2014, you can help them by dropping off your Christmas cards.

The Northwich branch has also already had a ‘match the Saturday night bonus ball’ competition, organised by the tax department to raise money for St Luke’s Hospice.

The tax department put on a bacon butty morning, greatly appreciated by all the hungry staff, again for St Luke’s Hospice.

The male side of the admin team will compete in the Tough Mudder challenge in September in aid of the Death Support Network (DSN) based in Northwich. While the women will complete a midnight walk for Macmillan.