THOUSANDS of new bins are being delivered to homes across Blackburn with Darwen ahead of a new recycling drive.

Around 12,000 homes across the borough will receive a new bin for garden waste.

They will also receive a new crate for all dry recyclable material, such as plastic bottles and cans.

From April 28, a new two-week rota for bins collections will be introduced. On the first week, the two creates containing recyclable material will be collected. On the second week, all non-recyclable waste - such as nappies, food trays, cardboard boxes and food - will be collected.

Anybody who fails to start splitting their waste will get a formal warning from the council and could face a ban on bin collection.

The 12,000 houses chosen to pilot the scheme are in areas which have large gardens. In total, more than 20,000 homes will ultimately take part with the new green waste bins. All homes will eventually have a crate for dry recyclables, although not until later in the year. Until then, houses not given a new bin or crate will continue to get weekly collections.

Coun Andy Kay, in charge of regeneration at the council, said they had been forced into the action because of spiralling landfill charges, which are imposed on councils for every tonne of rubbish they dump into the ground.

He said: "We really do not have any choice. The government insists that just burying rubbish in the ground is not a long-term option and is increasing the Landfill Tax levy. "If we don't do this, we will have to put an extra £1million on council tax in no time at all. We have targeted homes with gardens first, because we can reduce a lot of landfill by getting rid of garden rubbish.

"Each bin will have a barcode on it. The barcode will be recorded by the refuse vehicle so we can know which areas are not recycling very much.

"We can then target those homes in future publicity drives. Put simply, continuing to dump rubbish in the ground is not an option."

People living in the Hoddlesden, Pole Lane/Priory Drive, Spring Vale/Garden Village and Jack's Key estate in Darwen will be included in the first phase.

In Blackburn, people living in Gib Lane, Feniscowles, Heys Lane, Oakdale and Fernhurst Farm estates, Beardwood, Four Lane Ends and Pleckgate, Buncer Lane, Brownhill and Sunnybower will be included in phase one.