IT costs half as much to collect, sort and recycle rubbish as it does to collect it, treat it and send it to landfill. It’s also a lot better for the environment.

That is why everyone is being urged to make the best possible use of their blue recycling bins.

Fenland people already have an excellent recycling record, with 52 per cent of our domestic waste being recycled or composted last year. But the council is determined to continue to push that figure up.

Michele Spratt, of Fenland District Council’s Recycling Support team, said: “We are all recycling more and throwing away less. That’s good news, but there’s still more we can all do. Because collecting rubbish and recycling is expensive, it’s all the more important that we recycle as much of the right stuff in the right way as we can every day.”

The council has drawn up some simple advice to ensure that any material for recycling is properly handled. The tips include:

Leave waste for recycling loose in the blue bin. Don’t use black bags, shopping bags or similar that prevents the material for recycling being seen.

Keep food waste and general rubbish out of your blue bin. They ruin the quality of paper and card.

Put all cans (including aerosols), paper, plastic bottles, clean cardboard and glass bottles and jars in your blue bin.

Use your brown bin for shredded paper, small pieces of card and egg boxes that cannot be recycled.

Use your local household waste recycling site for small amounts of DIY waste such as wood and building waste. They can damage recycling equipment.

Take textiles and old clothes to local collection points or charity shops. Textiles cause problems when collected together with glass.

Compost at home, if possible, and make use of your brown bin.

Call Fenland District Council’s Getting It Sorted team on 01354 654321 if you have bulky items or questions about recycling, or check it out through the website www.fenland.gov.uk/bins, where you can also view your own collection calendar for the next three months.