HOUSEHOLDERS in Teesdale are to receive a £10 annual reward for putting out recycling boxes, under a new system to be introduced next week.

The cash, which will be paid out in the first week of March each year starting in 2004, is aimed at encouraging a culture of frequent recycling following the introduction of wheelie bins and separate boxes for reclaimable materials. It will only be given to those households who put out their boxes at least 21 times out of the 26 fortnightly collections a year.

The reward will be funded from the sale of recyclable materials and by selling trade sacks, pre-printed with the council logo, for those who are producing extra waste. The sacks will cost 65p each, with a minimum sale of ten per transaction.

Project manager Dave Gaster told members of Teesdale Council social and environmental policy committee that there would probably be some initial resistance to the new system.

"We are not yet in a society that has the culture to recycle," he added. "Nor would forcing the issue always be welcome. But a reward system for those who reliably recycle most of their materials has been successful in other areas."

Mr Gaster pointed out that the scheme would not incur extra administration costs as a barcode system on the boxes would give the percentage participation for each property.

He also told of the level of interest in a display of bins and boxes during this Wednesday's market in Barnard Castle.

"The company says it has never seen such interest in 15 years, with an unusual amount of people requesting a smaller bin.

"Only one or two people were angry about the new system, but that's a way of life," he added.

He spoke of a small number of people not wanting wheelie bins at the front of their house or in front gardens, which seemed to be a local issue. But he had not heard of a scheme that allowed them to retain sacks or opt out of having bins simply for aesthetic reasons, and he advised councillors of the pressure they would face from constituents who felt theirs was a special case.

Members agreed, feeling they needed a uniform strategy, and voted to adopt Mr Gaster's recommendations before congratulating him on his excellent work.

* A range of bins from 180-1,100 litres is proposed for trade customers, available with locks. They will be collected weekly, or more frequently by agreement, with an annual charge levied for the provision of bins, plus a separate charge for each emptying.

In addition, it is proposed to retain a pre-paid sack-only collection service for those with inadequate storage facility for bins, or irregular demand. A 15pc discount will apply to recycling, where it can be achieved.