POTTERS BAR residents will be the first in the area to get extra recycling collections from September.

A proposal for Hertsmere Council to collect glass as well as a wider range of plastics from residents' homes was approved at the council's Executive meeting last night, after the council won a £400,000 Government grant.

The collections will start in September with Potters Bar residents being the first in line.

New black wheelie bins will be delivered to all households which currently have a black box for plastic and cans.

The bins are the same size as those for normal waste but with a different coloured lid.

Everything that went into the black box can go in the new bin as well as all coloured glass, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, microwave meal trays and plastic bags. Environment portfolio holder, councillor Jean Heywood, said councillors were “thrilled” by the development.

"This is something that residents have asked for when we have consulted them so I'm sure they will welcome the news.

"Hertsmere's recycling rate is currently around 40 per cent thanks to the efforts of our residents and the collection of these additional materials will help us build on this and hopefully we will be up to 50 per cent by 2012.”

Council leader Morris Bright said “the vast majority of residents” had supported the idea when specifically asked.

The council is able to collect the new materials following a successful grant bid to Hertfordshire Waste Partnership, which will pay for the new bins.

Recycling is also going to a new destination, Pearce Recycling in St Albans, which accepts a wider range of items than the company previously used.