RESIDENTS on a Darlington estate are being encouraged to recycle and compost their rubbish under a new initiative.

The County Durham Environmental Trust (CDENT) has given £4,500 to a scheme to give people in Firthmoor the chance to install their own home-composting units.

The money, which has been provided from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme, will also allow a door-to-door recycling service to be set up on the estate.

The four-year-project, devised by Darlington Borough Council, is aimed at educating the community about the environment and recycling issues.

Project manager Bill Westland, from Darlington council, said: "This pilot project is aimed at making recycling a more realistic and attractive option for the people of Firthmoor.

"We recognise that many people may not find it easy to make the journey to bottle banks or recycling sites and are, therefore, prevented from doing their bit for the environment.

"From October, this scheme will provide a fortnightly doorstep service across the whole estate, where newspapers, magazines, cans and glass are collected and sent on to be recycled.

"Thanks to CDENT's support, we are now able to offer the community an environmentally- friendly way of dealing with their organic waste, too."

The fund will allow people living in Firthmoor to buy a composter, which will break down garden rubbish into compost, for only £1.

A series of workshops about composting and recycling will also be held to ensure everyone takes advantage of the scheme.

John Wearmouth, chairman of the environmental trust, said: "This is exactly the kind of project we are keen to support. It helps to address the important issue of sustainable waste management through encouragement and involvement.

"The aim is to reduce the amount of rubbish that ends up in landfill sites by making composting and recycling more accessible to communities.