RESIDENTS are being offered a chance to find out more about a recycling service that is about to be launched in Teesside.

The pilot scheme, taking in 7,000 homes in Hartlepool, is aimed at improving the town's recycling of household waste.

Details will be outlined at the next meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council's South Neighbourhood Consultative Forum, on Friday, June 10, at 2.30pm, at Rossmere Youth Centre in Rossmere Way.

Dave Stubbs, the council's head of environmental management, will give a talk and then answer questions about the scheme, which will take in the Fens, Greatham, Newton Newley and part of Owton Manor, Rift House and Rossmere areas.

He said: "We are committed to communicating with people as widely as possible ahead of the introduction of the new service on July 4.

"This meeting is just part of that process. In addition, we are sending leaflets to every home in the pilot area and we are also organising a series of drop-in question and answer sessions for residents."

The scheme, which has met with some criticism in the town, involves giving householders a brown wheelie bin for their garden waste, and white poly bags for their plastic bottles and cardboard.

This will be in addition to their existing blue boxes and bags and green wheelie bins.

Councillor Geoff Lilley, for the Greatham ward, said: "I am 100 per cent behind the scheme to promote waste reduction and increase recycling."

A weekly collection regime is also to be introduced. Green wheelie bins and blue boxes/bags will be emptied one week, and white poly bags and brown bins the next.

All collections will continue to take place on the weekday that residents' refuse is currently collected.

It is hoped the service will help the council meet its Government-set target of recycling 30 per cent of domestic waste by 2010.