DETAILS of a major expansion of rubbish recycling across York have unveiled.

City of York Council plans to include an extra 8,000 homes in its kerbside recycling scheme, which collects rubbish from outside people's homes.

It is already in operation for 900 homes in Acomb, Holgate and Huntington.

But new plans will extend that to extra areas of Acomb, Rawcliffe, Clifton Without, Knapton, Nether Poppleton, Woodthorpe, Dringhouses, Hessay, Rufforth and Beckfield Lane.

The areas were chosen because of their distance from recycling banks and because collections could be made at the same time as normal rubbish rounds.

Kristy Walton, the council's waste strategy development manager, said: "With household rubbish increasing at a rate of three per cent per year, the plans to extend recycling follow a city-wide consultation on recycling last year.

"The consultation found high levels of support for waste separation and collection schemes, with high numbers of people across the city willing to separate kitchen, garden and general waste for special collections.

"If these peoposals are accepted then we will begin a campaign entitled Rethink Rubbish, which will involve writing to all residents involved, providing leaflets and information on the scheme as well as delivering the recycling boxes and bags."

Councillors and officers will discuss the plans on Thursday.

If accepted, the extension will be put in place in May.

It will be preceded by a leafleting and information campaign aimed at encouraging residents to recycle.

Coun Derek Smallwood, the council's executive member for the environment, said: "It is clear that residents want to participate in protecting our fragile environment."

Updated: 11:01 Saturday, April 06, 2002