A nursery in Oxford has ditched its waste paper bins in favour of colour-coded recycling tubs to teach toddlers the benefits of going green.

The Imagine Co-operative Childcare centre has incorporated the approach into its educational work with children aged between three and five.

The nursery, in The Oval, Rose Hill, has been running the scheme for two months with its 32 older children.

Nursery nurse Claire Dowsey said: “We have four recycling bins for plastic, cardboard, paper and cans in our communal area.

“We use it as a way of talking about the environment and all sit together to work out what goes in each bin.

“The children then take it in turns to put the waste in recycling.

“We have had a really positive reaction from the kids and their parents.

“We have introduced this to the older kids at the nursery, those aged between three and five, because they can start to understand the thinking behind it.”