Maldon district will have to aim to recycle 33 per cent of its household waste by 2003/2004 and 40 per cent by 2006/2007.

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has set new targets following the Government's new national waste strategy earlier this year.

But head of environmental services, Trudie Bragg said: "It is the opinion of officers that performance at civic amenity sites is excellent and is unlikely to improve much further.

"The targets will be very difficult to meet without substantial investment in recycling activities by this council," she added in a report to members of the environment and economic development select committee last week.

The council has already achieved an increase in the tonnage of materials collected and recycled this year and the council is on target to recycle 30.9 per cent overall compared to 24.4 per cent last year.

Ms Bragg said: "The improvement in recycling performances is largely due to the improved performance of Essex County Council, civic amenity and recycling centres and distribution of 6,000 recycling boxes in the Maldon town area.

"These have significantly increased participation rates and overall tonnage or paper collected."

Members recommended that a trial one-off kerbside collection of textiles is carried out and the results reported back and that the council continue to support the Re MaDe Essex Market Development programme which aims to identify and develop new markets to reprocess recyclable material.

Members of the committee are also to try out a new type of recycled refuse sack. It is proposed to give each member a role of recycled sacks to use alongside their standard Maldon District Council sacks and report on their performance.

By Amanda Brandon

Reporter's e-mail: amanda.brandon@essex-chronicle.co.uk

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