A MAJOR new initiative has been launched in an effort to reduce the amount of household rubbish produced across North Yorkshire.

To meet national and European targets, the county must reduce landfill and double the amount of refuse that is recycled over the next three years.

Further, in the two years after that the amount of rubbish recycled must increase by another 50 per cent.

Now a new body has been formed to wrestle with the problem and it includes representatives of the county council, City of York Council and all seven district authorities.

The group will tackle the growing mountains of rubbish by overseeing the development of an integrated waste management strategy for the next 20 years.

Close scrutiny will particularly be given to ways of reducing the amount of rubbish being thrown out by each and every household across the county.

That will include the promotion and encouragement of recycling and composting projects which are already being developed extensively across the area.

The chairman of the new waste management members steering group, Coun John Fort, said the problem needed a concerted effort from everyone to solve.

"We all need to be working together to reduce the amount of rubbish which is being generated by each and every home in the county," he said.

"Together with our city and district council colleagues we need to be looking at alternative disposal methods such as recycling and composting."

He added: "The formation of the steering group has been a significant step forward in the development of an integrated waste management strategy.

"This will build on co-operation and close working relationships already enjoyed by the North Yorkshire Waste Authority."

Head of waste management Ken Moody said one idea already being closely looked at with kerbside collection, with different materials being picked up in different bags.

"Pilot schemes for the idea have been tried out in both Hambleton and York.

He added: "We had a consultation exercise with the public in the summer and the results of that will also be taken into account."

As well as the North Yorkshire and York authorities, the group has members from the districts of Richmondshire, Hambleton, Craven, Harrogate, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby