National recycling week begins this week and some of Croydon’s best recyclers are the faces of the scheme.

The model recyclers were photographed alongside the posters of themselves which are now on the sides of many of the council’s recycling vehicles.

Croydon Council is urging more people to recycle and cut their waste so the borough can improve their 45 per cent recycling rate.

The council is also encouraging shoppers and commuters to use recycling bins which have been put in busy locations around the borough.

People who use these recycling bins could be rewarded with small prizes, such as pasta measuring tools so cooks can avoid food waste.

On Saturday, June 29, the council is supporting the borough’s waste contractor, Veolia, in organising a ‘give and take’ day at Surrey Street Market.

People can take any unwanted but useful items and then look around to see if there is anything that someone else doesn’t want which they can take.

Donations can be dropped off at 10-12 Surrey Street from 10am on the day.

Councillor Phil Thomas, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said: “Croydon Council is dedicated to improving recycling 365 days of the year.

“However, these national weeks of action are useful ways of reminding people how much more they can do to reduce the amount of waste we send to landfill every year.”