CHERWELL District Council is hoping to encourage more than 800 recruits each year to its recycling service.

The council has created a new welcome pack that it will send to up to 850 people that are estimated to move into the area each year.

It will explain how the recycling service works with details of when collections are and what can be put into each bin.

Portfolio holder for the environment, Kieron Mallon, said: "Cherwell's recycling rate of 43 per cent puts us among the top recyclers in the country.

"It looks like we've hit that figure for a second year running, which is a good achievement.

"We're always looking at new ways to improve our record on recycling in Cherwell and this welcome pack will help us encourage new residents to join the scheme and make sure they have all the information they need to help us keep the rate up."

In the Cherwell area each year more than 28,000 tonnes of garden waste collected in brown bins and sent for composting and about 27,000 tonnes of paper, cans and plastic sent for recycling.

Anyone who would like a pack should e-mail amenity.services@cherwell-dc. gov.uk or call 01295 221940.