HADDENHAM Methodist Church is competing in a UK wide recycling fund-raising competition to see who can save the most yogurt pots from going to landfill.

As part of the Top of the Pots initiative, the church congregation will be avidly collecting Activia, Actimel and Shape yoghurt pots from family and friends, with the top five collectors nationwide winning contributions of up to �200 for their chosen school or charity.

Mavis Middleton, a member of Haddenham Methodist Church who set up and runs the churches collection programmes, said: “Haddenham Methodist Church joined the Activia Yogurt Brigade in November 2009 and to date we have collected 1,044 yogurt pots and bottles and have earned �22.40 with TerraCycle.”

As well as attempting to become Top of the Pots, Haddenham Methodist Church earns two TerraCycle points for the weight of each yogurt pot and bottle sent in.

Each point can be redeemed for a one penny contribution which the church uses towards essential church funds for things like repairs.

TerraCycle then recycles the waste pots into a wide range of recycled generic plastic products such as garden benches, watering cans or waste bins.

Mavis added: “We ask that local people help us in our attempts to win the Top of the Pots Collection Contest whilst helping the local environment by saving as many of these yogurt pots and bottles from local landfill as possible.

“Simply drop off your empty Activia, Actimel and Shape containers and also Kenco Eco Refill packs and baby food pouches of any brand to the church during the fortnightly Wednesday morning coffee service, the Sunday morning service, or the coffee morning on the second Saturday of the month and we will happily send them in as part of our collections.”