SEVEN thousand more residents are about to receive a brown wheelie bin to help them recycle garden waste.

Bury Council is extending the scheme during March and is writing to everyone to explain how the collection regime works.

Following this, large blue wheelie bins will be sent to another 21,000 homes so residents can recycle cans, glass and plastic bottles.

Councillor Mike Connolly, executive member for environment and transport, said such measures had improved Bury's recycling rate in the last couple of years from around six per cent to nearly 15 per cent.

"This figure is set to rise further and the council is well on track to meet its 18 per cent target for 2005/06," he said. "Councils that failed to reach their previous targets could face fines of £200,000, so there is a financial incentive as well as environmental reasons for us all to recycle."