A RECYCLING scheme for Haslemere will be launched in the new year after a six-week trial proved successful.

The service will be launched in January and will cover parts of Chiddingfold, Haslemere, Hindhead and Farnham.

Under the new scheme, residents will be able to put out magazines, newspapers and white paper, brown, green, and clear glass bottles and jars, tins and cans for collection. They will go into a new lidded box and the existing basket provided by Waverley Borough Council. Paper and cans will go in the lidded box, while glass will go in the basket.

The collection lorry for recyclable material has been converted from an existing recycling vehicle, at a cost of £10,000 and can carry up to five tonnes.

Waverley councillors took part in the trial during September and their experiences have provided useful feedback.

The trialÕs purpose was to try out every aspect of the service that Waverley residents will receive; from leaflets explaining how the service will work, to the operational aspects of the service such as the actual collection of the recyclable goods by the crew.

ÒFeedback on the service has been excellent and has enabled Waverley to make some minor alterations to a couple of aspects of the operational side of the service,Ó a spokesman said.

ÒMost of the councillors found that no significant change of lifestyle was required to make the best use of the boxes and baskets ,which is good news for other residents.Ó

If space indoors is limited, councillors found that both the lidded box and the basket can easily be stored outside as the lid protects paper and magazines from the elements, and the slatted basket, which is for bottles and jars, easily allows rainwater to drain out.

ÒThe great news about this trial is that the average rate of recycling by my fellow councillors peaked at about 45 per cent which is fantastic!Ó said John Sandy.

ÒThat means that colleagues were only putting out about half the rubbish that they would do normally which in turn results in far less rubbish going into landfill sites.Ó

Mr Sandy added that if residents can achieve recycling levels anywhere close to this, the environment will benefit enormously.

Waverley Borough CouncilÕs waste minimisation programme is supported by Surrey County Council and funded by SITA Environmental Trust.

The first phase of the new kerbside collection of recyclable material will begin in other parts of Waverley on Monday, October 21.

The borough has more than 100 existing ÒBring SitesÓ where residents can take their recyclable materials if they will not be receiving kerbside collections in phase one.

These sites recycle items such as textiles, shoes, cardboard, foil and books, as well as paper, cans and glass, so those who receive kerbside collections should still recycle other items at these sites.

More than half of WaverleyÕs rubbish has the potential to be recycled, although only 12 per cent is at present.

Some 165 tonnes of rubbish collected in Waverley is sent to landfill sites every day, and every year residents generate enough rubbish to fill Cranleigh swimming pool 170 times over.

Waverley Borough has been set a target of recycling 24 per cent of all refuse produced by 2003/04 and 36 per cent by 2005/06.