Darlington council is going all-out to create a recycling culture in the town.

During a two-year scheme which aims to vastly cut the tonnage of waste going to landfill, a bid will also be made to convince residents of the value of the action.

At a meeting of the public protection and community partnerships scrutiny committee, Coun Dorothy Long questioned people's motivation for recycling.

"Do they do it because it suits them or because they are convinced about the benefits?" she asked.

It was vital to talk to as many residents as possible to drive home the message.

The council's recycling officer, Phil Scrafton, said action was already being taken. "We are improving our position all the time in trying to change the culture in which some people just will not recycle," he said.

Scheme co-ordinator Claire Charles said the two-year programme involved Durham County Council and partnership authorities.

She said Darlington had £450,000 to run the scheme up to 2006, with eight people and a project manager employed by the county.

Linked to a national recycling scheme, the aims were to increase tonnage of recyclable raw materials being collected at kerbside and boost awareness of the whole issue.

The team will spend nine weeks in each of the Darlington districts and also set up special events.

A marketing campaign will see 17 people targeting 200 homes each per day with a questionnaire.

She said Darlington had 45,000 households and that the scheme should hit 21,000 - 47pc - over three weeks.

Mr Scrafton said there would also be special liveried cars, carrier bags to be handed out, and posters in places such as schools and the Dolphin Centre. The whole borough would be covered in the two years.

"We are already getting feedback that the scheme is working well," he said.

Committee chairman Coun Doris Jones said: "We have to look at this long-term and make people understand it is for their own good and for that of their grandchildren.

"We are doing this to improve people's quality of life."