AN ENVIRONMENTALLY friendly bus will take to the road next month to tour rural villages and promote recycling.

The Green Box Recycling Scheme, which is being operated by district councils in Wear Valley, Derwentside and Teesdale, has been such a success that it has been given a further £175,000 to take the initiative on the road.

The money has been allocated by the Waste Resources Action Programme to help increase recycling in the three districts.

It will pay for a bus, educational and publicity material and additional staff to go on tour.

The bus will be called the Roaming Recycler. It will travel to villages in each area to provide education and assistance to people, in order to encourage them to participate in the Green Box Recycling Scheme.

The vehicle will be fitted with onboard computers that will give adults the opportunity to access further service information online.

Children will be invited to take part in recycling games and quizzes.

A spokesman for the scheme said: "This means that information will be available directly to residents in their local area.

"The Roaming Recycler project will help them participate in the Green Box Recycling Scheme and assist them with any recycling queries they may have.

"The bus will be travelling into the villages in the three partner authority areas in order to spread the recycling message and we hope people will come along and have a look.''

The Roaming Recycler will be launched and begin its touring next week, from August 9 to August 13.

Its first stop will be in Barnard Castle Market Place next Monday.

The bus will then visit Crook Market Place on Tuesday, August 10.

Bishop Auckland Market Place will play host to the bus on Wednesday, August 11, before it heads off to Derwentside on Thursday and Friday.

People living in Consett can visit the bus in the Albert Road car park on Thursday, August 12.

The vehicle's final destination will be Stanley Front Street on Friday, August 13.

Anyone wishing to obtain more information about the project, or who would like to request a visit from the Roaming Recycler, is asked to telephone Jo Bussey, waste minimisation and recycling officer, at Wear Valley District Council on (01388) 761617.