Plans to expand Maldon's recycling trials are being investigated.

During the past fortnight a leaflet drop to 2,000 households in the trial areas of Heybridge and Wickham Bishops have reminded residents of the scheme and encouraged them to keep up their good work.

Last month Maldon came top of the Essex league table of waste recycled and now officers are asking refuse contractors Onyx to provide costings to expand the existing trials district wide.

The kerbside collection schemes of glass bottles and jars at Heybridge and paper, cans and textiles at Wickham Bishops, were set up in October last year and will continue throughout 1999/2000 at an ongoing cost of £11,540 to the district council.

In a report to members of the planning, highways and environment services committee last week members heard that there was a 60 per cent participation in the trial in Wickham Bishops and 42 per cent in Heybridge.

Officers believe the lower figure in Heybridge could be due to collections taking place on Thursdays, when rubbish and paper collections are carried out on Fridays, so effectively residents receive three separate collections of waste materials.

They added: "Participation in the trial areas is much higher than in the district paper collections, probably due to the provision of plastic recycling boxes which improves participation."

Officers have suggested providing every householder with a recycling box.

They concluded that to achieve targets set by the Government and county council, the district council will have to expand its current schemes and whatever method is chosen additional resources will be required.

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