A new recycling facility is proving popular with the public - even though it's only been open for a few weeks.

The new beverage carton recycling scheme opened at Civic Amenity and Recycling centres across the county at the end of July.

Pembrokeshire County Council - in conjunction with Tetra Pak Ltd and the carton industry body ACE UK - launched the scheme to give residents the opportunity to recycle more of their household waste. Paper-based cartons for milk, juice, sauces and other liquid foods or drinks will be recycled for a two-year trial period.

Once collected the cartons are baled and transported to a recycling mill, where they can be recycled into a number of different products from plasterboard lining to super strength paper bags and envelopes.

Clr. Huw George, cabinet member for the environment, said Pembrokeshire residents had always responded well to the different recycling schemes that had been implemented across the county and the new scheme was no exception. "However, we have still got some tough targets to meet," he said. "We're delighted that Tetra Pak Ltd and the carton industry are supporting us to help increase the number of cartons recycled in Pembrokeshire and if the two-year trial is successful, we'd like to see the project rolled out further."

The introduction of carton collections is the latest in a line of improvements that have been made over the past year to increase recycling provisions for Pembrokeshire residents.

These include a second phase roll-out of the Kerbside Orange Bag Recycling scheme to 70 per cent of households; increasing the amount of Bring Sites across Pembrokeshire to over 160 and allowing more items to be recycled at all of the authority's civic amenity and recycling centres. Special carton containers are positioned at the following centres: Winsel Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre, Old Hakin Road, Haverfordwest; Manorowen Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre, Cnwc Sandy, Manorowen, Fishguard; St. David's Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre, near Hendre Farm, Fishguard Road, St. Davids; Hermon Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre, Rhydiau, Hermon, Crymych; Waterloo Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre, Waterloo Industrial Estate, Pembroke Dock; The Salterns Civic Amenity and Recycling Centre, The Salterns, Tenby.

At present the cartons should not be included in the Kerbside Orange Bag recycling scheme.