Two new recycling champions have started in Littleport to help kick off a big recycling movement in the town.

Stephen Cole and Lesley Marsh, both Littleport residents, have volunteered to spread the word to local people to help Littleport be one of the best recyclers in Cambridgeshire.

Littleport Timebank, Cambridgeshire County Council, waste contractor Amey and East Cambridgeshire have teamed up to recruit local Recycling Champions to encourage others within the Littleport community to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste even more. This voluntary role is the first of its kind in Cambridgeshire.

By working with Timebank, the volunteers will receive Time Credits for activities they do, such as talking to local community groups or schools about recycling, delivering leaflets or putting up displays at public events. The credits can then be exchanged for a variety of activities.

The Recycling Champions first activity was helping out at a litter pick organised by Littleport Timebank, where over 40 local residents, representatives from the Timebank, The Port youth group, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Amey, Cambridgeshire County Council and local Cubs and Beavers who collected 49 bags of litter that weighed a total of 112kg.

With the help of the champions, the pickers separated the waste into recycling and general rubbish and over 50 per cent was sent off for recycling which was made up mostly of cans, plastic bottles and paper.

Stephen Cole, one of the recycling champions said: “Littering can be a problem in Littleport so it was great to be part of the event. It just goes to show how easy it is to recycle. East Cambridgeshire District Council provided two types of bags, one for recycling and one for rubbish and everyone was keen to separate out the two.

“At the end of the litter pick, we sent 59 kilograms of litter for recycling which is a great achievement which would normally not have been separated out. Everyone was amazed and very proud at how much recycling we collected.”

To volunteer to be a Recycling Champion or find out more information, contact the Amey Education Centre team on 01223 815490 or email wasteeducation@amey.co.uk.