WASTE chiefs in Wyre Forest are celebrating after netting more than £200,000 of Government cash to help introduce kerbside recycling to thousands more homes later this year.

The cash aid, announced by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will help the district council ensure families in blocks of flats and isolated rural communities "go green".

The money is part of £43 million allocated from the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund to help local authorities expand recycling projects.

The council also separately received £17,115 to help ease the financial burden of introducing recycling.

Councillor Keith Robertson, who is has responsibility for commercial services, welcomed the news, which came as the last wave of homes in urban Kidderminster, Bewdley and Stourport geared up for the introduction of the scheme.

"This money will help us buy equipment and vehicles to help us reach the outstanding households, mainly in flats and small rural communities," he said.

"We still have to pay for the running costs and staffing but it's a big help."

Councillor Robertson said he was "delighted" with the positive response to the scheme so far, which had already triggered a dramatic improvement in recycling rates.

At least 12 per cent of rubbish was already thought to be going for recycling, compared to about six per cent at the start of the year, he said.

That figure must hit 18 per cent by April, 2005 to meet Government targets, he added.

"The response has been superb - the vast majority of people are taking it up and making the effort to leave out clean and uncontaminated recycling.

"I am confident our recycling rate has at least doubled already."

Kerbside recycling was introduced in September and November last year to some 17,000 homes. Thousands more came on board in January, with the final batch of homes in this first phase of the scheme due to join in the week beginning March 8.

Each home receives an information pack and two large boxes for storing waste paper, cardboard, glass bottles, cans, jars, textiles and some plastic bottles, which are emptied weekly. All other rubbish goes in the wheelie bin, now emptied once a fortnight.

Roadshows promoting the scheme, where staff will be on hand to answer queries, will be held next week, from 11am to 1pm: March 2 - Dog Lane car park, Bewdley; March 3 - Wolverley Sports Centre; March 4 - Offmore Farm Community Centre.