A TEES Valley family firm aims to make the region a recycling hotspot after it won the contract to supply all bottle banks across the region.

J & B Recycling has been awarded the £1.5m a year deal to collect and manage waste from 76 recycling banks, found in locations such as supermarket car parks.

It is the first time there has been an agreement for one supplier to deliver a standardised service across the region.

More than 340 new containers have been delivered to existing sites to collect glass, paper, cardboard cans, plastics and textiles. The containers have been designed to improve the appearance and cleanliness of the site, reduce congestion and ensure materials are collected effectively.

Vikki Jackson-Smith, Managing Director of the Hartlepool-based company, said recyclers could look forward to using a simplified service.

"We expect the new containers will increase participation from the public because its very clear as to what goes where. For example, all glass can go into one container now whereas it had to be sorted into different colours previously.

"This will mean a far more efficient service with brand new colour-coded containers and clearer, user-friendly branding to explain what can be recycled and where it goes. Because there are fewer containers, theres likely to be far less congestion at the sites as we have increased the frequency of collections.

"The idea has been to provide the same service wherever you are in Teesside. That brings economies of scale for ourselves and the local authorities because it means we are collecting far more efficiently."

J & B recorded a turnover of £8.96m in its most recent results and expects to add to its 145-strong workforce in the upcoming months. It recycles approximately 100,000 tonnes of waste each year from household, commercial, industrial and construction sources.

The new sites have been praised by recycling managers at the regions local authorities. Phillippa Scrafton, waste minimisation and recycling officer at Darlington Borough Council, said: "The completed sites look excellent and initial feedback from the public is very positive. Our thanks and admiration go to J & B Recycling staff for their excellent work."

J & B Recycling has also successfully tendered to collect and manage all waste from Middlesbrough Borough Council buildings.

The contract is worth about £300,000 a year and will see up to three waste collections a week from more than 80 locations across the town including schools, libraries, parks, care homes and offices.