HOMES in several villages in the South Lakes are being provided with new blue recycling bags for plastic and cardboard.

The latest phase of South Lakeland District Council's recycling roll-out will see 700 homes in Backbarrow, Newby Bridge, Haverthwaite, Greenodd and Lowick getting the new kerbside materials.

RELATED ARTICLE: Blue recycling bags to be distributed in Ulverston villages

The effort is part of the council's plan to increase the amount of household waste sent for recycling from the current 43 per cent to a target of 50 per cent.

Simon Rowley, South Lakeland District Council's assistant director of neighbourhood services, said: "We have seen the tonnages collected from the kerbside increasing, particularly in areas where we have introduced plastic and cardboard collections.

"In those areas we have also seen a big increase in the number of people requesting additional or replacement recycling bins and boxes, which suggests the introduction of the expanded service has led to a renewed interest in and enthusiasm for recycling."

The roll-out of the plastic and cardboard kerbside collections across South Lakeland is continuing, with the second half of the district scheduled to move onto the service by the end of the financial year.

That means an average of 1,000 properties a week will be moved on to plastic and card collections between now and the end of March 2017.

So far areas including Kendal, Ulverston town and coastal villages, Kirkby Lonsdale, Milnthorpe, Burton-in-Kendal and Arnside have been moved on to plastic and cardboard kerbside recycling.

Recycling facts

- In the UK, the average person throws away their own body weight in waste every seven weeks.

- One recycled glass bottle saves enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.

- The UK produces enough waste to fill Windermere every eight months.

- It is estimated that 80 per cent of waste can be recycled or composted.

- Recycling just one aluminium can save enough energy to power a television for up to three hours.