Britain's consumers are being urged to go green in a big way with the launch this week of Recycle Now, a £10 million campaign to encourage household recycling. Supporting the initiative is Britain's leading waste compliance organisation Valpak, whose rescape banks are helping retailers' recycling sites to go from shabby to chic.

Although recycling levels in the UK have climbed from 8 percent in 1999 to 14.5 percent for 2002-2003, there's a long way to go if Britain is to meet the EU Landfill Directive. This legislation requires that, by 2010, landfill disposal be reduced to 75 percent of the 1995 level, with a further drop to 35 percent over the next 10 years.

rescape aims to increase recycling rates by replacing dingy recycling points with stylish, attractive banks that are a pleasure to use. In trials earlier this year, rescape banks succeeded in doubling rates in some areas, with hourly visitor figures nearly quadrupling from the previous year.

Valpak's chief executive Steve Gough explains: "When it comes to packaging waste, the public has a key role to play in improving recycling rates. Schemes such as Recycle Now and rescape are all about making recycling easier, more accessible and more convenient. We hope that, by tackling common problems associated with collection sites, rescape will help to make recycling second nature for people all over the UK."