A COUNCIL will investigate new recycling schemes for cans and clothing but members have been warned that some have been too successful.

Rossendale environmental health chief David Taylor told councillors that the North of England was now saturated with bottle banks and glass manufacturers were embarrassed by the amounts being returned to them, particularly green and brown.

As a result, the council received no payment from UK Glass Recycling, the company which collects glass in the borough.

Coun Nick Pilling told a meeting of the environmental health committee: "We are doing as much recycling as possible but such is the state of the market that we are struggling to cover costs." He said when the council first started recycling it was a moneymaker as well as being a benefit to the environment and government policy. That was no longer the case.

Council staff are to have talks with Help the Aged about plans to recycle more clothing and the Valley's secondary schools will be asked if they would have waste recycling sites in their grounds.

Coun June Forshaw said: "High schools should be encouraged to set up a site at school which can be managed as part of the national curriculum.

"Primary schools could then visit the sites and be shown good management practices."

The committee was told the price for aluminium cans was now 45p per kilo and for mixed textiles £90 per tonne.

But a pilot scheme for recycling plastic started by two other councils in Lancashire had been abandoned because the company involved has gone out of business.

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