POTTERS Bar residents will become the first homeowners in Hertsmere to receive new glass recycling bins next week.

Hertsmere Borough Council will deliver new brown wheelie bins to residents for glass recycling, which will replace the black boxes currently used by households to recycle plastic bottles, tin cans and aerosol sprays.

Residents can continue to recycle these items using the new bin, and in addition can dispatch glass bottles and jars, tetra packs, yoghurt pots, microwave meal trays and carrier bags.

The new bins were bought using a grant from Hertfordshire Waste Partnership.

Councillor Jean Heywood, environment portfolio holder, said: “Including glass and items such as yoghurt pots in our kerbside collections is something residents have asked for, so it’s great news we are now able to introduce this new scheme thanks to a special grant.

“Hertsmere’s recycling rate is around 40 per cent thanks to the efforts of our residents, so the collection of additional items will help us build on this and hopefully we will be up by 50 per cent by 2012.”

Gemma Godfrey, Hertsmere Borough Council’s recycling officer, said: “We’re really excited to be rolling out the brown bins for glass, cartons and other additional items such as plastic food trays and plastic bags.

“It means you really can recycle the majority of your waste at home through our kerbside collection scheme.”

The new bins will start to be delivered next Monday, September 6.

Some Potters Bar residents who already have a brown wheelie bin for garden waste, food waste and cardboard, will receive a new green bin to switch their green waste to.