AN ESTIMATED 2,500 tonnes of waste has been recycled since one of the county's most successful green schemes was introduced.Suffolk Coastal District Council has announced the figure in an attempt to urge residents to keep up the good work.

AN ESTIMATED 2,500 tonnes of waste has been recycled since one of the county's most successful green schemes was introduced.

Suffolk Coastal District Council has announced the figure in an attempt to urge residents to keep up the good work.

The waste was collected between the start of the expanded recycling services in April and the end of June.

The figure includes waste collected from local homes and recycling banks across the region.

Cllr Chris Slemmings, cabinet member for the environment, said: "Despite living in the computer age we still accumulate a vast amount of paper which needs to be disposed of, including holiday brochures and shopping catalogues.

"We have made it easier for our local residents to recycle unwanted paper through our new green crate service."

The council's kerbside paper recycling service visits every home in the region each fortnight.

Residents have been given a green crate for storing brochures, catalogues, envelopes, junk mail, magazines, newspapers and office paper, ready for collection.

Although white telephone directories can be recycled, Yellow Pages directories are not allowed, because of the way they are printed.

Suffolk Coastal aims to recycle 24 per cent of household waste by March 2004, and 32 per cent the following year.

Cllr Slemmings said: "I would like to thank our residents for their support and ask them to keep up the good work and keep recycling."

Anyone wanting more information about recycling can call the council's recycling team on 01394 444266, or visit www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.