NEW plans for recycling in Kirklees aim to boost targets by 7%.

Kirklees residents have helped the council meet the challenging Government recycling target of 21% set for 2005/6.

But new initiatives, including an increase in number of times green bins are emptied, providing recycling to outlying districts and expanding the kerbside glass collections, all aim to boost that.

Each household in Kirklees produces over one tonne of rubbish each year - enough energy to heat 500 baths or to run 5,000 hours of television.

Nine out of 10 people said in a recent survey that they would recycle more if it was made easier.

Kirklees Council aims to do this by providing more frequent kerbside collections for a wider variety of materials.

Kirklees residents were amongst the first to be offered recycling banks for glass, more than 25 years ago.

Over the last three years in particular the amount of material recycled and composted in Kirklees has doubled and is now a staggering 38,400 tonnes each year. This is the equivalent of 4,300 dustbin wagons full of rubbish.

Cllr Martyn Bolt, Cabinet member for the environment, said: "A massive 72% of all household rubbish is diverted from landfill in our authority, making Kirklees one of the leaders in this area.

"Thanks to the efforts of people living in Kirklees we are seeing more and more of our rubbish being recycled to the benefit of the environment and council taxpayers across the authority."

More recycling information is on 01484 414700.