A fresh approach to recycling has seen Norwich beat its 20pc target months ahead of schedule.The city council has collected 7,500 tonnes of recycling from across the city since April, which has seen its rate jump from 18.

A fresh approach to recycling has seen Norwich beat its 20pc target months ahead of schedule.

The city council has collected 7,500 tonnes of recycling materials from across the city since April, when the figure was 18.4pc. It is now nearly 25pc.

Alternate weekly collections have been introduced in some parts of the city, which have extended the materials that are able to be collected from the kerbside, and also the volume.

Areas that have alternate weekly collections are able to recycle plastic bottles from homes, as well as paper and card, tins and cans and glass.

Julie Brociek-Coulton, from the city's waste working party, said: "I would like to say a big well done and thank you to everyone in the city who is recycling - every little really does help. Recycling is getting easier in the city. We are providing more opportunities to recycle through extra services and hope that people take advantage of these as much as possible."

Recycling rates are up from 21.6pc in quarter two of this year (July-September), to 24.7pc in October.

The scheme started in the south and west of the city in October this year, and the increase in the recycling rate in the first month of collections is a great start.

Another boost to the city's opportunity to recycle comes in the form of garden waste.

From April, the council will be offering its garden-waste collection service to more people across the city. The scheme has proved successful in pilot areas of Crome and Eaton, collecting about 400 tonnes of garden waste in its first six months of operation from April 2007.

Adrian Ramsey, another member of the council's waste working party, said: "It is great news that we have reached nearly 25pc already, with only one quarter of the city on the new collection scheme.

"Once the majority of the city has access to the blue wheelie bins or communal bins for flats, and the addition of plastic-bottles recycling, that rate should increase much more."

Alternate weekly collections are being introduced to more homes across the city in 2008. The north and east will be the next to get the new service in May/June.

If you have any inquiries on waste or recycling in Norwich, call 01603 212212 or email rst@norwich.gov.uk