NEW recycling targets set by Lancashire County Council will mean a revolution in waste collection in Pendle -- and a rise in council tax charges.

The amount of household waste recycled in Pendle last year was set at nine percent, but that will rise to 36 per cent in 2005 and then 58 percent in 2015.

The proposed strategy also plans to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste going to landfill sites from 85 percent to 20 per cent by the year 2010.

According to a council report, funding the proposed system of waste initiatives would mean an average increase in council tax charges of 22.1 per cent.

The report will be discussed at a meeting of Pendle Borough's sustainability working group at Nelson Town Hall tomorrow.

The group will recommend that agreement be given in principle to working in partnership with all Lancashire authorities to procure a joint solution to the strategy's targets.

The report goes on to say that achieving Lancashire County Council's waste management strategy will mean "radically new collection arrangements."

The council hopes that the new targets can be met through an increase in the amount of 'green' waste collected. This would include grass cuttings and tree clippings, which would be turned into compost.

Ian McInery of Pendle Borough said: "We collect fortnightly from every household in Pendle and there are 26 site where waste can be taken.

"We have increased the number of plastic bottles and aluminium cans collected. Recycling grass and tree cuttings will more than help us meet those targets."

On the council tax rise which would be incurred through these targets, Mr McInery said: "I think that everyone knows we have to recycle more of our waste and that costs money.

"We should have been looking at this issue 20, or even 25 years ago, like the rest of Europe."

Mr McInery stressed that the targets were imposed by central government and Lancashire County Council and it was not a problem particular to Pendle.

"No-one likes council tax increases, but if we do not meet these targets the point will come where the penalties for not meeting them will be greater. In the long run we will be better off taking the course of action we envisage."