A COUNCIL is poised to introduce a new waste collection strategy.

In a bid to meet its government-set recycling targets, Hambleton District Council will make sure that nearly all residents have two wheelie bins to separate their waste at home.

One bin will be green for garden waste and the other, will be black for left-over kitchen waste.

The initiative has been piloted over the last seven months by more than 5,000 homes in Thirsk, with the two bins being collected on alternative weeks.

The scheme has been well received by householders and during the trial period recycling rates rocketed over 33 per cent, with more than 559 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill to composting or recycling sites.

The district council's cabinet spokesman for waste management, Arthur Barker, said: "This scheme has already proved an overwhelming success.

"Not only has the scheme seen people embrace the idea of separating waste into the two wheelie bins but we have seen a huge increase in usage of our recycling centres."

The council must recycle 24 per cent of its household waste by the end of 2005, a massive increase on the ten per cent target set last year.

The new scheme will cover about 36,000 of the district's 36,737 homes.

By September this year all towns and villages south of Thirsk, including Easingwold, Shipton, Linton-on-Ouse and Alne, and the Bedale area will have taken delivery of the wheelie bins.

Towns and villages north of Northallerton, including Great Ayton, Stokesley, Hutton Rudby and Brompton, will join the scheme next year.

The Northallerton and Romanby areas will follow in September 2005.

Final details on the size of the bins, the collection and other uses of the green waste bin during the winter months are still to be considered by the district council.