THOUSANDS of homes could help make Chester-le-Street a greener place through a new recycling scheme.

The district council is launching a new fortnightly household waste collection service for paper and glass aimed at reducing the amount of material that goes to landfill sites.

The green box collection bins will supplement the normal weekly rubbish collections and the council's recycling banks.

About 10,000 homes will take part in an initial pilot scheme - at Great Lumley, Bournmoor, Ouston, Urpeth Grange, Beamish, parts of Chester-le-Street, North Lodge, Picktree Lodge and Village, Pelaw and South Pelaw.

The council hopes that residents will use the bins to dispose of paper products such as magazines, newspapers, brochures, telephone directories and computing paper and clear and coloured glass jars and bottles.

An Audit Commission report on the council's refuse service - it was rated fair with promising prospects for improvement - said the council's recycling rate was in the lower quartile and that it was not paying enough attention to waste minimisation.

Council chief executive Mick Waterson said: "This is a brilliant scheme that addresses the problems associated with putting waste into landfill sites.

"It is everyone's responsibility to recycle household waste for it is the only way we can safeguard the future health of both our community and the environment.''

The council's Local Agenda 21 officer Mike Keenleyside said: "We appreciate this that this is a new scheme and recognise there may be some confusion in the beginning. However we will endeavour to provide residents with a recycling service of the highest standard.''

The collection boxes are being delivered to houses and the first collections are due to be made on Monday.

The council hopes to extend the scheme throughout the district.

Anyone with a query about the scheme should call (0191) 371 1040.