EFFORTS to protect the environment look set to be taken a step further with the introduction of more recycling measures.

Hambleton District Council is expected to give the go-ahead to a £6,400 pilot scheme to add plastic bottles to its rapidly expanding list of green credentials.

At the same time it is likely to introduce an experimental kerbside collection scheme in Thirsk which, if successful, could be expanded to other towns.

Hambleton already recycles paper, cans, glass and old clothes as it works towards the Government-set target to re-cycle or compost at least 25 per cent of household waste by 2005.

Now, with the help of cash from the landfill tax, it plans to set up skips for the collection of plastic bottles. Initially there would be three but that could be extended later.

Nationally some 275,000 tonnes of such bottles are used in homes each year and 20,000 of them are needed to make up one tonne of plastic, but recycling just one bottle can save the amount of energy needed to power a 60-watt bulb for six hours.

The council's environmental health committee is also being recommended to approve a £14,400 kerbside collection scheme in Thirsk, which would be the first of its kind in the district.

The scheme is to be piloted in East Thirsk and will involve each household being given a 55-litre box and re-useable bag.

Householders would then be asked to leave their recyclable material in the box on the edge of their property for collection once a fortnight.

The scheme would be constantly monitored and 90 per cent of the people in the area have signalled their willingness to take part.

The deputy chairman of the committee, Carl Les, said yesterday: "These are things we have wanted to do for some time.

"We can't go on just filling holes in the ground with all our rubbish. It may be a lot cheaper than recycling but it is not environmentally-sound.