A boost in the quantity of aluminium cans presented to a York company for recycling is expected in the wake of a new campaign.

L Clancey & Sons, which processes 30 tons of aluminium beverage cans at its plant in Murton Lane in York, has paid out about £15,000, mostly to charities collecting them for at least 45 pence per kilo.

But the pay-out is likely to be even larger, as people take advantage of a new offer from the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) to link the number of cans recycled to the planting of trees.

The Alupro campaign promises to see at least 35,000 trees planted across the UK.

Recyclers in York bringing their empty cans to Murton Lane can register for the Get Recycling tree planting project and for each 50 kilograms of aluminium cans they weigh in, they can claim a tree.

Alupro will send the tree for tree planting time in autumn.

Richard Clancey said: "The incentive is likely to improve even further on the three million cans we get from the York area."

Steve Freeman, from Alupro, said: "The more aluminium cans recycled, the more trees will be planted - it couldn't be easier."

He added that recycling saved up to 95 per cent of the energy used to produce aluminium from raw materials.

Updated: 12:02 Wednesday, February 18, 2004