BLACKBURN with Darwen Council’s new blue bins to recycle clean cardboard and paper will start to be emptied next month.

More than 60,000 and have been delivered across the borough since the beginning of June.

Homes without space for the bins have been given reusable blue bags instead.

Householders are now receiving an updated waste collection calendar and selected areas will see the first blue bin collections in the week commencing August 3.

Currently only 30 per cent of waste is recycled in the borough.

Cllr Jim Smith, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s environment boss, said: "We are one of only a very few councils which still collected recycling all mixed in one bin and hardly any recycling mills will now accept it like that.

"Residents have also told us recycling can often be confusing and we know similar schemes have worked really well across the country. Schemes like this will help push us to our target of recycling 50 per cent of waste by 2025."

The new blue bins will be for clean cardboard and paper while the grey bins will be used for clean glass, plastic bottle, tubs, jars, tins and cans only.

Plastic bags can’t be put in the grey or blue bins and must be put in the burgundy one.