In the past six months the equivalent of nine African elephants of recyclable material in Oxford was contaminated and had to be sent to landfill.

Between November last year and April, 64 tonnes - or 64,000kg - of material left for recycling was no use to those whose job it was to turn trash into reusable material.

Waste collectors are still finding that some people are putting the wrong items in their green and blue recycling boxes.

And, when that is the case, all the items go to landfill - defeating the object.

Now the message from those in charge of the city's so-called recycling revolution' is "pay attention to what you are throwing out".

City council recycling chief Shaun Hatton said: "From November until April we collected approximately 6,400 tonnes of recyclables.

"Of this one per cent - or 64 tonnes - was probably rejected."

Some green boxes, which are for glass bottles and jars, newspapers and magazines, are crammed with items like wood, plastics and cans.

And some blue boxes, for plastic milk, drinks and shampoo bottles, are being contaminated with other plastic that cannot be collected - like polystyrene, yogurt pots, margarine tubs, clingfilm and carrier bags.

Since new waste collection arrangements started in November last year, recycling rates have shot up from about 19 per cent to more than 30 per cent.

In Swindon, between October 2006 and March, the council collected 9,561 tonnes of recyclable material of which three per cent was contaminated.

And during the same period in Reading, 7,977 tonnes of recyclabe material was collected, with 3.5 per cent rejected through contamination.

Mr Hatton said: "Green box collections are sorted by our employees and any unsuitable material is not taken - and therefore not weighed.

"Blue box collections are taken to a mechanical sorting plant. The operators appear to be happy with the quality of our material."

City councillor Jean Fooks, executive member for the environment and the woman in charge of Oxford's recycling scheme, added: "Congratulations are due to people for putting so little contaminated material out. It's a tremendous achievement so early on.

"Some of the contamination is because people are still not clear about what can and cannot be recycled - but that will come with time.

"Compared with other places this is a pretty good result, but it would be nice if it was even more."

WHAT GOES WHERE

Green box - yes

glass bottles glass jars newspapers magazines white office paper

Green box - no

broken or sheet glass plastic bags envelopes cardboard food tins

drinks cans

Blue box - yes

plastic drinks bottles plastic milk bottles plastic shampoo bottles aluminium cans cardboard

Blue box - no

polystyrene yogurt pots any kind of glass aerosols metal bottle tops

Green hessian bag - yes

grass cuttings hedge trimmings garden prunings small shrubs plants and weeds

Green bag - no

food/drinks cartons metal pet waste soils/stones/ hardcore kitchen food waste