WYRE Forest waste chiefs are urging people to "buy recycled" to help reduce the district's landfill mountain.

The district council is stepping up its recycling initiatives ahead of the introduction of kerbside house-to-house collections in September.

Council leader Councillor Howard Martin said: "The reduced pressure on landfill sites, preservation of natural resources and the economic benefits, including job creation, are well-known benefits.

"It is also really important to create a market for recycled materials and to sustain the demand for these goods.

"When we start to collect recyclables we will be passing the recycled material onto third parties who will turn them into useful products.

"By buying recycled you will be helping to sustain this market. It is a common myth that recycled products are of a lower quality than non-recycled products.

"You will find them of a high standard and competitively priced."

Rebecca Robinson, Wyre Forest District Council's waste minimisation officer, added: "All people need to do is buy products that are made, or partially made, from recycled materials.

"You are probably already buying some without knowing it - up to a quarter of every new steel can is made from recycled steel and over 60 per cent of a newspaper is made from recycled paper.

"But we can now buy bin-liners, compost bins, garden furniture and fleeces all made from plastic bottles. Kitchen roll, toilet roll and office paper made from recycled material are competitively priced."

People requiring more details on recycled products, or advice on changing how they manage their household waste, can contact Rebecca on 01562 732906.