SEVENTY new recycling banks are to be installed at sites across York.

Waste management company Yorwaste has been awarded a contract to service all paper recycling banks throughout the city.

They will replace existing paper banks at household waste recycling centres, shopping centre car parks, schools and community centres.

A purpose-built vehicle will service the banks by lifting them and depositing the contents into a container.

All the paper will be sent for bulking at Yorwaste's materials recycling facility at Hessay, near York, and then sold as part of a partnership with UPM Kymmene, which operates the Shotton Paper Mill in North Wales.

This baled paper is used for the production of newsprint that is marketed to local newspapers.

Yorwaste predicts that it will collect between 2,000 and 2,500 tonnes of paper a year, and, for every tonne it collects, it will pay an income to the council.

Tony Sharkey, Yorwaste's waste strategy and contracts manager, said: "The new bins have been designed to enhance the image of the recycling sites within York and not only will this contract provide a high-quality paper-recycling service, it will also provide an income to the city.

"It's an environmentally-friendly scheme because when the recycled newsprint is delivered to local newspapers, the same vehicles making that delivery will also stop to pick up more baled newspaper from Hessay, thereby reducing the number of vehicles on our roads.

"We are delighted to be awarded this contract and to ensure this scheme is a success, we will be designing the promotion of this service to maximise the cooperation and participation of local residents."

Meanwhile, York's first ever Green Party councillors have been showing a German counterpart around a city waste disposal facility.

Wilhelm Breitenbach was visiting the facility on Foss Islands Road to discuss how environmental issues are dealt with in his home city, Munster.

He was taken to the site by York's Green Party councillors, Mark Hill and Andy D'Agorne.

York Green Party wants an increase in the recycling targets currently set by the city council.

Updated: 09:19 Friday, May 23, 2003