HOUSEHOLDERS are being asked to sort out their waste for special collections as part of a recycling scheme spreading across a county.

Kerb-side collections of special containers filled with waste paper, glass and cans are made on alternate weeks on normal refuse collection days in three areas of County Durham.

Kerb-it has recently been introduced in Sedgefield and Chester-le-Street districts after a successful Durham City pilot scheme.

All households are being issued with 55-litre containers, one each for paper, cans and glass.

Residents are asked to put them out, with the respective categories of waste, on the kerb ready for collection on their usual refuse collection days.

Each of the three district councils are contributing £200,000 towards the scheme in conjunction with the county council.

The county council has backed the project with the equivalent of £1.9m, some in the form of recycling credits which would otherwise have been paid to the respective districts.

Kerb-it is operated by Durham-based Premier Waste Management, which handles collections, separates the waste and sends items for recycling.

The project will create 30 jobs and all 100,000 households should be covered by the end of August.

Sedgefield's waste management officer, Oliver Priestley-Leach said a third of the district has been covered so far.

"In Sedgefield, alone we could pull in 7,500 tonnes a year - enough to fill the swimming pool at Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre every week," he said.