FROM Monday around 15,000 households in Malvern Hills district will be given the opportunity to put their money - or, to be more accurate, their rubbish - where their mouth is when the council introduces its much-trumpeted kerbside recycling scheme.

People are always saying they would recycle if only it was made easier for them, well now they have the chance to prove it.

The Malvern Hills scheme is the same as that introduced by Herefordshire Council in Ledbury and Bromyard last June.

Across the county, that scheme has enjoyed a 50 per cent take up and is heading toward meeting Government targets.

The target for Malvern Hills is that we should be recycling 18 per cent of household waste by 2004/05. With Malvern's history of commitment to the environment and green issues, we are confident that with the council's help this district can do much better than that.

There has certainly been a great of our money invested in setting up the scheme so now it is up to all of us to make it work if that money is not to be wasted.

The scheme involves sorting cans and plastics into a clear bag and paper and textiles into a purple bag, with the rest of the rubbish still going in the usual black bag.

For some, having the space to have three bins on the go is going to be a problem, not helped by the fact that the clear and purple bags are only going to be collected fortnightly.

It will take a little effort, but for the environment the rewards could be great.