FOUR green-thinking residents of Hambleton have realised that recycling can be a very productive past time.

Four people have each won a prize in a free draw supported by Hambleton District Council in a bid to promote the Rethink Rubbish campaign.

More than 1,000 new and regular recyclers across North Yorkshire entered the draw in the hope of winning one of 24 prizes sponsored by Yorventure and Yorwaste.

Three Hambleton winners were automatically entered in the prize draw when they took their Christmas trees to be recycled at their local household waste centre.

Veronica Piekosz of Great Smeaton won a fleece jacket produced from recycled plastic bottles. Margaret Simpson of Carthorpe received a solar powered radio.

And Verna Sellars of Sowerby won a rechargeable torch.

Carolyn Addison of Thirsk won a wind-up radio as a result of completing a questionnaire about the district council's waste and recycling service.