A interactive, online way to encourage recycling in north Oxfordshire has won the approval of teachers and schoolchildren.

Cherwell District Council has created a schools area on its new recycling website with activities for pupils and lesson suggestions for teachers to encourage pupils to think about waste.

Among the features are examples of successful recycling projects run by schools across the country, a jigsaw puzzle, wordsearch games, an interactive 'smash 'em up' glass recycling game and a teachers' guide to recycling.

Schools are already using the site as a teaching aid, including The Grange Primary School, in Avocet Way, Banbury, which has a pupil eco-committee focusing on environmental issues.

Children on the committee play a part in developing the school's eco status by helping to increase recycling, growing organic vegetables, staying healthy and helping to reduce energy and water use.

Headteacher Sue Bradley said: "Cherwell's recycling website is a very useful tool for us.

"The children and especially the eco-committee like it because it shows them what happens to recycled goods. Teachers have found the lesson planners useful."

Kieron Mallon, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "Our recycling scheme has been a huge success. We're determined to keep the momentum going and push our recycling rate as high as we can.

"Schoolchildren are the next generation of recyclers and it's important we use modern and fun ways, like this website, to get the message across to them."

The webside address is www.cherwell-dc.gov.uk/recycling