A recycling roadshow backed by 1980s pop star Toyah Wilcox hits the road today as part of a week-long national campaign.

Worcestershire County Council's 's Operation Target 75 exhibition will visit various sites to coincide with the national BIG Recycle campaign.

It has displays and interactive activities for people of all ages to promote kerbside recycling, such as showing what types of rubbish can be recycled and what can be made from recycled matter.

The roadshow is designed to encourage people to reduce the amount of waste they create - by not buying over-packaged food, for example, and composting vegetable peelings.

Target 75 is part of the Mission ImPossible campaign launched by Toyah at the Three Counties Show last weekend.

It aims to slash the amount of waste sent to landfill sites and increase the proportion of people who use kerbside recycling schemes to more than 75 per cent by March 2006.

Tania Field, Target 75 project development officer, said "Recycling in Worcestershire is on the up. This new vehicle is excellent in educating people of all ages about recycling and its benefits."

Earlier this month, The Worcester News reported how the personal approach of Worcester City Council's new promotion officers going out and speaking to residents about the importance of recycling has started to pay off.

In Barbourne, 15 per cent more residents have been leaving their sacks for collection.

Two months ago, a survey of nine recycling rounds revealed that almost half of Worcester homes were doing their bit.

In April we revealed that recycling in the city had passed targets set by the Government. It is estimated that the 2004-5 target of 16 per cent was met with 16.8 per cent of household waste being recycled. In total, 6,020 tonnes of recyclable materials were collected. But we could do better - Bromsgrove leapt from recycling 11 per cent of its waste in 2003/4 to 24 per cent in 2004/5.

where the roadshow is going

The exhibition vehicle will be at the following places:

l Today - Morrisons supermarket, in Davies Road, Four Pools Industrial Estate, Evesham, from 10am to 4pm.

l Tomorrow - Waitrose Supermarket, in Edith Walk, Malvern, between 10am to 4pm.

l Wednesday - Lyppard Grange Community Centre, off Ankerage Green, Warndon Villages, Worcester between 10am to 4pm.

l Thursday - The Walshes Community Centre in Stourport-on-Severn, between 10am to 4pm.

Want to find out more? Log onto: recyclenow.com for tips on home recycling, or contact your district council for details about kerbside collections