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England flags will be lining the streets next Thursday (April 23) as communities celebrate St George's Day.

The annual commemoration of the patron saint of England is a chance for Englishmen and women to champion England, with events and parties planned at town squares across England on the day.

But after the celebrations die down, the question becomes: what do you do with all those England flags now? The ones flying from cars, draped from houses and otherwise flown proudly from any given surface.

According to flag experts at The Flag Institute, there are actually rules governing how you dispose of any flag of the United Kingdom, whether it's the Union Jack, the St George's Cross or one of the other nation states in the UK.

The 'proper disposal of flags' guidance says that when flags are being disposed of, they should be destroyed 'in a dignified way'.

It explains: "National flags should never be flown in a worn or damaged condition, or when soiled. To do so is to show disrespect for the nations they represent.

"When a flag becomes tattered or faded and is no longer in a suitable condition for use, it should be destroyed in a dignified way, for example by burning, tearing or cutting into strips that no longer resemble the original flag."

As with anything, context is key. Disposal of a flag by burning it in a respectful way has long been considered among the most proper ways to dispose of a national flag.

According to the US Department of Defense, disposal of a national flag by burning it has been the officially recommended method enshrined in law since 1937.

The Department of Defense website says: "The American Legion passed a resolution about flag retirement ceremonies in 1937, and they've been an important ritual ever since. According to the resolution, 'the approved method of disposing of unserviceable flags has long been that they be destroyed by burning'."

This differs greatly to more recent political movements which have sought to use burning the flag as some sort of statement.

There was a plan among some MPs in 2006 to criminalise flag burning, but it has so far been successfully opposed by human rights groups.

Of course, many will be dumping commemorative flags in bins but it might be better financial advice to simply save them somewhere for next time around - after all it's only a few months until the 2026 World Cup when England will be among the favourites to win the tournament and recreate the historic victory of 1966.