VIDEO Determined youngsters are today getting 'wheelie' excited over their new recycling bin which was delivered to their school after they lobbied the county's top politician.

DETERMINED youngsters are today getting 'wheelie' excited over their new recycling bin which was delivered to their school after they lobbied the county's top politician.

The group of year three and four pupils from Murrayfield primary in Ipswich's Nacton Road were so keen to ensure their school was eco-friendly that they took matters into their own hands.

The diligent children sat down and penned letters to Jeremy Pembroke, leader of Suffolk County Council, asking him for the bin to recycle their plastics and cardboard.

Mr Pembroke was astounded by the number of letters and immediately contacted Ipswich Borough Council to organise the delivery of a large wheelie bin to the school.

Yesterday he met the children, who presented him with thank you letters, before watching as the bin was emptied by refuse collectors for the first time.

Addressing the children, Mr Pembroke said: “I do not think I have had so much correspondence as I have from you all.

“You all used your initiative and you were determined to get the bins and quite right too. If you had not done that, you wouldn't have them.”

Rebecca Loades, the pupils' teacher, said: “We did not have any bins to recycle plastics and the children asked if we could have one.

“We have been looking at recycling and they said they wanted a bin that would take the plastic cups.

“They were delighted when the bin was delivered.”

Wendy James, headteacher, added: “We are very pleased. We are going to be recycling everything from tins to yogurt pots.”

Mr Pembroke rang up the borough council after receiving 19 letters from the children and arranged for a bin to be delivered. He also replied to every child that had written to him and sent them a recycling pencil, recycling pen and a yo-yo.

Some smaller blue bins for the classrooms are also expected to be arriving at the school soon.

Refuse collectors from IBC arrived at the school for a special delivery and the children watched in awe as the contents were emptied into the dustcart.

Do you recycle enough? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

Last year, Ipswich residents sent 43,692 tonnes of rubbish to landfill, at least 50 per cent of which could have been recycled

Following a trial of blue bins in 2003, thousands more were delivered to homes across the borough in 2005

Since the scheme started in 2003 more than 12,607 tonnes of waste has been recycled instead of being buried in landfill

The blue bin is for recycling dry and clean paper, cans, cardboard and plastic household waste.

Crushed waste takes up less space so people are advised to rinse and crush all cans, tins and plastic bottles.