RETHINKING rubbish is the purpose of a new website which has been launched in Worcestershire.

Turntheworld.com aims to make county householders more aware of the rubbish they produce and help them to minimise, re-use and recycle it. With the largest landfill site on their doorsteps - Hill and Moor - Vale people should not have difficulty in following the tips on the website.

It has been launched by Malvern-based sustainability charity Welcome to our Future with funding from Landfill Tax Credits from the Severn Waste Environmental Fund and features recycling hints and tips, events and also contacts for national and local environment groups.

Rethink Rubbish campaign manager Sue Fyleman said: "The aim of it all is to help people become more aware of how they can help minimise waste and what, where and how to re-use and recycle the different materials we throw into our rubbish bins every day. Individual actions can really help turn the world around.

"Every year Hereford and Worcestershire produce some 450,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste. Of that, ordinary household rubbish accounts for the most - around 386,000 tonnes!

"So each of us could make an enormous difference, just by reducing, re-using and recycling the rubbish we create. We simply cannot carry on making mountains of rubbish forever.

"Our local campaign for Hereford and Worcestershire, which supports the national Rethink Rubbish campaign, was launched in June.

"Many people have seen our adverts, posters and heard radio ads asking them to help 'turn the world around' by rethinking rubbish. Our new website is part of the second phase of public education, advertising and promotion for the autumn."

Sue said that the internet was ideal to help educate the people of Worcestershire on the importance of rethinking rubbish and hoped the website would play a vital part in raising awareness of recycling issues.

"Today, the internet can be reached by almost anyone, even if they don't have a home computer of their own, with libraries, internet cafes, schools and colleges all providing access," she said.

"We think our new website is an extremely important element of the campaign but it won't stop here. We aim to see our website grow to become the most useful single source of waste reduction and recycling information, guidance and referral for our two counties."