A COUNCIL has joined forces with a national group to encourage more people to recycle their kitchen and garden waste in the coming year.

Durham County Council has linked with Recycle Now and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (Wrap) to encourage people to take up composting.

They are hoping residents will make a New Year's resolution to cut the amount of organic waste which ends up in landfill, and thereby cut down on the production of the greenhouse gas methane.

For as little as £10, residents can buy cut-price composting bins to turn fruit and vegetable peelings, dead flowers, grass cuttings, egg shells, toilet roll innards, teabags and even shredded bank statements into useful compost.

County residents can log onto www.recylenow.com/ home_composting or call 0845-077-0757 to find out what compost bins are available in their area.