RECYCLING in the Ribble Valley will help African villagers as well as the environment, thanks to a new council scheme.

The borough council has teamed up with aluminium recycling group Alupro and British charity Ripple Africa, tackling deforestation and poverty in Malawi by planting a new fruit tree for every tonne of recycled cans and foil.

The scheme is designed to give Malawians the chance to build trade in growing and drying fruit.

"There are already small-scale operations, but trees are only imported in small numbers from South Africa."

Waste management officer Peter McGeorge said: "Thanks to this scheme, it will also contribute towards planting 85,000 trees in rural Malawi."