LEVELS of recycling in the district have gone up by 50 per cent following the introduction of an extended scheme last month.

Stroud District Council claims residents have embraced the new recycling service after the total amount of recycling collected jumped from 136 tonnes to almost 200 tonnes a week.

Abigail Howells, a mother from Stroud, said she and her family have enjoyed being able to recycle more waste.

"I always thought we were good at recycling as a family, but I've been amazed at how much more we can now recycle since the new scheme has been introduced," she said.

Typically, before the new scheme was launched, 482 tonnes of rubbish was sent to landfill a week but this has now dropped to 442.5 tonnes.

Cllr Simon Pickering, executive member for environment at the council, said: "This is excellent news. The reduction in black bag rubbish equates to five full bin lorries of waste which don’t have to go to landfill every week.

"Additionally, when you consider that the cardboard and plastic packaging which can now be recycled are comparatively light in relation to the previously collected materials, the increase in recycling is huge. Residents have really taken the new scheme to heart and this is just at the very start of the scheme."

In June 36,000 wheelie-bins were delivered to homes across the district as part of the new scheme, which started on July 2.

Further information is available at www.stroud.gov.uk/recycling