SIDMOUTH and Ottery St Mary residents will see their leftovers used to power homes when a new recycling and waste scheme begins in June.

SIDMOUTH and Ottery St Mary residents will see their leftovers used to power homes when a new recycling and waste scheme begins in June.

Householders in both towns have been encouraged to spend the next few weeks preparing for the changes, which will become part of the usual Tuesday waste collection and see:

- Weekly collections of recycling materials

- New weekly collections of food waste

- Fortnightly collections of landfill waste

Food waste will be taken to the Holsworthy Bio Gas Plant in North Devon - an anaerobic digestion plant- where it is turned into a gas that generates electricity for the National Grid.

This month, each household will receive three new waste containers including a small food waste caddy for the kitchen, a larger food waste container to put out by the kerbside and a wheeled bin for other waste to go to landfill.

An East Devon District Council (EDDC) spokesman said householders who already use a green box for recycling should carry on using it in the same way as before except collections will now occur weekly and plastic bottles can now be included.

Councillor David Cox, EDDC's Portfolio Holder for StreetScene, said of the changes: "We all need to do as much as we can for the environment. It's vital that we reduce landfill and increase the number and volume of the materials that we recycle. We can't do anything without the help and co-operation of our residents. As much as possible should go into the recycling bins.