A recycling scheme aimed at rewarding residents with cash for increasing the recycling rate has now been launched.

The Cashback Challenge will reward 40 lucky households by waving the borough's council tax precept if an extra 400 tonnes are recycled across the borough over the next 12 months.

A video has also been put together by the council and posted on Youtube to promote the scheme which will run to March 31 next year.

Council leader Miles Parkinson said the two-minute video will help raise the profile of the scheme.

He said: "Most use people different kinds of media nowadays so it's about getting the message out to everybody.

"We don't have an infite way of producing things and everyone needs to work together to divert rubbish from landfill sites.

"If we don't and continue to dump at Whinney Hill the costs go up every year and these get passed onto the tax payer."

The council is one of only 16 local authorities to received extra Government funding to pilot the scheme.

The scheme replaces a plan to reward residents with £5 supermarket vouchers for every one per cent rise in recycling rates.

Last month, the Observer reported how opposition councillors dismissed the scheme as 'gimmicky' and claimed the rewards are 'like winning the lottery'.