ANOTHER 6,500 residents will receive a "bugged" blue wheelie bin to help them recycle more.

The blue bins will replace the black boxes which are used to collect plastics, metal and glass, and were criticised by some for being too small.

The bins will each contain a recording chip which will log when a collection is made from an individual address, but will not weigh or measure the contents.

Town hall bosses repeat that they have no plans to charge residents under a "pay as you throw" scheme, saying it is a Government requirement to build up an accurate picture of recycling. They will be delivered first to houses in Prestwich, and then to areas across the borough.

Mike Savage, borough operational services officer, hoped the new bins would help Bury reach its target of recycling 30 per cent of household waste by 2010, up from the current 25 per cent.

"There has been talk of imposing charges on residents by using the chips for other purposes, but the simple truth is that this is not the case," he said. "We want to avoid people putting waste which could be recycled into their household bin and encourage them to use the blue one. It's the landfill charges which we are trying to avoid, so it is imperative that people understand that this is not part of a cunning plot to extort money from them."

A list will be attached to the bin lids explaining what can and cannot be recycled.

  • RESIDENTS are being urged to keep their black boxes for household storage - because they will otherwise end up in a landfill site if binned.

Chief executive Mark Sanders said: "The composition of the boxes means they cannot be recycled. Perhaps people could keep them in the house to collect recyclables, and then take them to the outside recycling bin when full."