THE personal approach is starting to pay off in the race to recycle as council officers have been knocking on up to 300 doors a day.

Worcester City Council's new promotions officers have hammered home the importance of recycling and since targeting Barbourne, 15 per cent more people have been leaving their sacks for collection.

It is hoped that the success will continue in Dines Green, Warndon Villages and the Arboretum in the coming weeks.

This is the latest initiative in the council's drive to help people make better use of the kerbside recycling scheme, now in its third year.

Until two months ago, a survey of nine recycling rounds revealed that almost half of city homes were doing their bit.

Leaders hope to increase this to 75 per cent by the end of the year.

Environmental protection officer John Bond said: "All the pointers are that the one-to-one approach is paying real and clear dividends.

"The message we've been taking direct to people's doorsteps and into their homes is that we need to recycle more and to pass on advice and support for those who are perhaps unclear about what can be recycled and how best to go about it."

Officials have spread the word that about one quarter of all rubbish created could be recycled.

They said that once the seriousness of the situation was explained, the majority of residents seemed willing to help.

Officer Emma Stuart said: "We're noticing a change in attitudes and when we manage to convert someone who was anti-recycling, that results in real satisfaction.

"We've found that a lot of the shortfall in recycling came about because people were just unclear over what waste went into which bag."

Currently 95 per cent of city homes are on recycling rounds, as well as fortnightly kerbside collections, more bottle, paper and textiles banks have appeared around Worcester.

For more information call the Customer Service Centre on 01905 722233.