PINK and green bin bags are the new weapon in Pendle's bid to help save the planet.

Colour-coded sacks are being used in a pilot study to get householders to save cans and paper to reduce waste going to the tip.

People in Reedley, Brierfield and Earby will be among the first to try the bags, which will be distributed to around 2,000 homes next May. They will be made of recycled plastic and collected once a fortnight.

Environment manager Richard Whittle said: "We want to encourage local people to recycle more so we can reduce the amount that goes to landfill sites.

"Our aim is to develop a comprehensive waste management scheme by helping people to adopt new habits and by expanding what we offer."

Other ideas in the pipeline feature home composting kits for garden and kitchen vegetable waste and the promotion of bottle and textile banks.

As the scheme progresses eco-friendly householders may be tempted to combine their unwanted textiles with paper in the special green bags and to put plastic bottles in with cans in the pink sacks.

Council leader Alan Davies said: "We can all make a difference and our efforts to recycle more will pay dividends in future.

"Landfill sites are filling up fast so we need to work now to try and meet the government's target and to recycle 25 per cent of all household waste by the year 2,000."

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