HOUSEHOLDERS are being given the chance to recycle more with the installation of five recycling banks in the Hambleton district.

Paper-based cartons are used for a wide variety of sauces, fruit juices, milk and foodstuffs, and it is estimated that nationally up to 55,000 tonnes are produced each year - most of which are not recycled.

But now in Hambleton, the council has joined forces with the carton industry to establish collection points at recycling centres in Northallerton, Thirsk, Bedale, Easingwold and Stokesley.

Once collected, the cartons will be reused for a range of products, from plasterboard liners to high-strength paper bags and envelopes.

Their introduction is one of a series of schemes being put in place to increase recycling across the district- each home will begin kerbside recycling in November.

Residents will be able to put out glass, paper, cans, tins and plastic bottles for fortnightly collection, along with household waste.

"Our residents have embraced the recycling schemes we have in place, so we expect these new banks to be just as popular," said recycling officer Lucy Stafford-Brown.

"Last year, we recycled or composted almost 40 per cent of all household waste through the fortnightly collections and our town and village recycling points.

"It is vital that this keeps on increasing - we cannot keep on sending waste to landfill sites."

The council is working with Tetra Pak and the carton industry body Ace UK - Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment - to create the new banks.

Since April last year, the industry has made £1.5m available to help local authorities set up carton collection schemes. There are already 100 areas covered, and it is hoped there will be a national network in place within 18 months.