THREE local councils have joined forces in a bid to encourage people living in the Bay area to do their bit for recycling.

Recycling is high on the agenda for Lancaster City Council, South Lakeland District Council and Barrow Borough Council but this is the first time all three have pooled resources and encourage more people to think about the way they dispose of rubbish.

South Lakeland and Barrow are to join Lancaster in introducing recycling banks for clothes and other textiles.

And they are also launching a bus advertising campaign reinforcing the Let's Sort It Out Together' message.

Thousands of households across the Bay are now part of the three councils' recycling rounds and the plan is to extend them to thousands more homes over the coming months.

The councils say they have been impressed by how well customers have adapted to the scheme.

In the last 12 months, customers of the councils have diverted 26,364 tonnes the equivalent of 26 refuse wagons from landfill to recycled use.

Pictured from left at the launch of the joint recycling scheme are Bob Chubb, of South Lakes District Council; Alec Proffitt, of Barrow Borough Council; Emma Coopland, from Lancaster City Council and Rob Kitchen, of South Lakes Distric Council.