STOCKTON Council is asking residents to give their views on its rubbish and recycling services.

A review of the services by the council's environment select committee has begun, with the aim of improving the service to residents and making the borough a cleaner and greener place.

Councillor Maureen Rigg, chair of Stockton Council's environment select Committee, said: "Like councils across the country, we face the need to continually improve recycling rates for less cost whilst maintaining or preferably improving customer satisfaction.

"Local people are more environmentally aware than ever before. They tell us in surveys that they want more opportunities to recycle their waste, so we need to find out what we can do and how we can do it.

"The council has pledged to tackle climate change. It is important to us to improve the quality and security of our environment for current and future generations.

She added: "Stockton borough already has some of the country's lowest rates of waste sent to landfill sites. The energy-from-waste plant at Haverton Hill makes a big contribution to this, but the need to continue reducing our reliance on landfill remains high on the agenda. We are aiming towards zero landfill.

"Collection services in the Borough are currently one of the best performing in the land. With high satisfaction of just 2.5 missed bins last year out of every 100,000 our collection teams certainly deserve praise."

Widespread consultation with residents is taking place and a questionnaire will be published in the council's magazine Stockton News.

All returned questionnaires will be entered into a prize draw and the lucky winner can choose between a new mountain bike or a trip for two in a hot air balloon.

For more details, contact Stockton Council's scrutiny officer Judith Trainer on 01642-528158 or by email at judith.trainer@stockton.gov.uk