A NEW doorstepping campaign will ask residents to help meet challenging recycling targets.

Vale Royal Borough Council has just celebrated reaching a recycling rate of 40 per cent in its first year of operating the new door to door recycling scheme but is keen to do even better.

In line with Government targets the council is working towards increasing this rate during the coming year.

To achieve this aim the council has contracted MEL Research Limited.

MEL will carry out face-to-face interviews to encourage more residents to use the recycling scheme.

The project will involve knocking on 8,000 doors within the borough to increase awareness about the door to door recycling collection service.

The firm will also get feedback from people about their attitudes to waste and recycling.

Jody Sherratt, waste education manager at Vale Royal Borough Council, said: "By talking to people face-to-face we can discuss the door to door service and explain how they can participate in the scheme fully.

"Doorsteppers will be talking to residents on their doorsteps and will have no need to enter anyone's house.

"They have all been issued with personal identity cards and will be wearing fully branded clothing."

The initiative began yesterday Tuesday, and will be conducted during evenings and weekends from 2pm until 8pm.

The doorstepping will last for six weeks.