RESIDENTS in Pendle are recycling more textiles in a month than they used to in an entire year following the relaunch of the scheme.

In just three months since a trial with new collectors I&G Cohen's started in June, 53 tonnes have been collected in parts of urban Pendle.

Before then the annual textiles haul only came in at around nine tonnes.

The first month alone saw an incredible 30 tonnes left out by Pendle recyclers.

Pendle Council introduced its alternative week collection scheme in summer 2005, allowing people to recycle their old clothing, bedding and shoes.

But collections were hampered because when bags filled with unwanted jumpers and duvets were placed inside green recycling boxes, they became "contaminated" with spillages from cans and bottles in the same container.

Because of limited storage facilities on the refuse wagons, the second-hand sheets and socks were also becoming damp and unusable before they had even arrived at the council's Fleet Street depot.

Operational service manager Carole Taylor said in a council report: "There were a few teething problems as the new collectors had to get used to the collection routes.

"And there was an overwhelming amount of textiles put out for collection in the first couple of weeks.

"The initial problems subsided and the tonnages for July and August were 12 and 11 tonnes respectively."

The trial textiles scheme is set to continue until early November, when it will be assessed by council bosses to see if it should be extended.

A fresh approach was required as textile recycling firms, which received the goods after they had been collected at the kerbside, had begun to reject loads which had been affected by either rain or other recycled goods.

Mills producing textiles for markets around the world were once the lifeblood of Pendle towns .