Green-minded townsfolk in Bingley have helped make a pioneering recycling scheme so successful that it is now to be copied in another area of Bradford.

Since the Bin It For Bingley scheme was launched in November 1995 householders have recycled some 1,000 tonnes of paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles.

Now Bradford Council is recycling the idea for use in Eccleshill, where a similar project is to be launched next week.

Recycling officer Gerry McDermott told residents at the Bingley Town Neighbourhood Forum that the scheme's success in their town would be used to launch other projects across the district.

The project aimed to help the Council increase the amount of waste it recycles, with Bingley residents each week separating recyclable materials from the rest of their waste and placing it wheelie bins for collection.

Mr McDermott said with the council having to pay landfill tax on each of the 250,000 tonnes of rubbish buried each year, the idea was to reduce costs and protect the environment.

A council spokesman said: "Until July this year, 1,950 households were involved in a monthly collection of newspapers and magazines.

"Since then the scheme's been extended to weekly collections from 2,200 households and now also includes plastic and metal food and drink containers. We're hoping more residents on existing routes will become involved.''

Meanwhile the first collections for the Eccleshill Sort Out and Save scheme are due to be made next Thursday and so far some 450 households have volunteered to take part.

Collections of the 240-litre recycling bins are being made on the Leafield, Norman Avenue and Bolton Drive estates on Thursdays, in addition to normal waste collections which will continue to be made on the same day as usual.

Councillor Keith Thomson, chairman of the council's waste management sub-committee, said: "We need to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill sites because of the landfill tax, which is £10 per tonne, and also to help us meet the requirement to recycle 40 per cent of our household waste by 2005.''

A Council spokesman said it was hoped to introduce similar schemes to other areas of Bradford in the near future.

Residents interested in taking part in the schemes in Bingley or Eccleshill should call (01274) 752854 for further details.

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