AN initiative is being introduced in the Richmondshire area in an effort to recycle more waste paper.

The district council is introducing a blue bag scheme on October 7 for more than 12,000 local households.

The homes will be issued with the plastic bags to be filled with waste paper. They will then be collected fortnightly and taken for recycling.

The scheme is part of a drive by the council to recycle ten per cent of all household waste by 2003/2004 - increasing to 18 per cent the following year.

The chairman of the council's environment committee, Councillor Jim Fryer, said: "We wanted to make it as easy as possible for people to send their wastepaper for recycling.

"All they have to do is put the bag at the side of the road on a designated day and we do the rest."

The scheme will cover 60 per cent of households in the district, and if successful will be extended to other areas and include other recyclable materials such as glass, cans and plastics.

Those areas that will be initially involved include Leyburn, Hawes, Richmond, Brompton-on-Swale, Colburn, Catterick Garrison, Hipswell, Scotton and Catterick Village.