PEOPLE living in Hartlepool are being urged to make recycling a regular part of their weekly routine.

Officials from Hartlepool Borough Council want residents across the town to make looking after the environment as commonplace as shopping for groceries.

The appeal coincides with National Waste Month, running throughout October.

Waste management officer Helen Beaman said: "The fact that many of our recycling facilities are located either at local shopping parades or big supermarkets, such as Asda and Tesco, makes it sensible to combine both activities.

"We want recycling to become a habit for local people, something they do almost without thinking.

"Many people are already committed to recycling but there is still a significant number of households who throw too much of their rubbish in the bin when it could be re-used."