NEW greener bin wagons have been unveiled at a launch event to highlight efforts to reduce impact on the environment in Allerdale.

Allerdale council and its waste and recycling partner FCC Environment unveiled two of the new 26-tonne vehicles on Tuesday.

It comes as the authority is also making changes to its waste scheme to improve recycling rates.

Changes include phasing out the use of the purple bags, in favour of larger bins.

Michael Heaslip, executive member with responsibility for environmental quality, said: "These changes are all about improving the service to the customer and having less impact on the environment with the phasing out of the purple bags. However, we know how popular the purple bags are, so that’s why we’ve tried to make the new service as easy as possible for our residents. These changes are also designed to deliver financial savings in the long-term."

Allerdale council is in the process of delivering around 40,000 large blue-lidded bins, which have twice the current capacity and will be used for paper and card.

Residents will use the old green paper bins for glass, can and plastic instead.

The changes are due to be effective from April 1, with residents asked to use the new bins and boxes once their last recycling collection has been made at the end of March ready for the new scheme starting.

The service includes the provision of 17 new Dennis Eagle Collection vehicles. Each wagon has a Euro 6 compliant 6 cylinder, 7.7l engine to deliver significant reductions in emissions compared to the current service. The vehicles can carry 16.8m3 of either residual waste, mixed recycling, garden waste or paper and card.

There will also be one smaller 18t vehicle to carry out collection work in areas of restricted access.

All vehicles come with latest technology including in cab monitoring systems, route tracking, 360degree cameras and web based routing.

Here is how the new recycling scheme will work:

- Single-use purple bags will no longer be used for collecting glass, cans and plastic

- Residents who currently use a small green bin for paper and card, will use this bin for glass, cans and plastic instead

- Paper will be collected every four weeks in the new bins, whilst glass, cans and plastic will continue to be collected every two weeks, once the new service starts

- All other waste collections will remain the same, with weekly collections for non-recyclable and other waste, and fortnightly collections for garden waste.

- There are a number of households who currently use a green hessian sack for paper and card as well as a purple bag for other recycling. Therefore, the council is delivering a box to these customers, which is for them to use for glass, cans and plastics instead of the purple bag. The hessian sack will continue to be used for paper and card. As it is to be collected every four weeks, residents can have more sacks if required.

- It is likely that the collection day will be different under the new service, and the time bin-crews visit may be later than residents have been used to.

To find out more visit www.allerdale.gov.uk/newbins or call the council on 0303 123 1702.