The rescape family of recycling banks has been proved to double recycling rates in some areas and exceed best practice in the collection of all materials.

In a trial of the rescape model, three rescape banks were installed in locations in Hertfordshire in June 2003, collecting glass, paper, aluminium, steel, plastic (HDPE and PET), textiles and shoes.

In a study conducted on the banks, they were shown to generate some groundbreaking results. A year after their installation, at one of the locations banks have increased glass recycling from 2.5 tonnes to four tonnes a week. Textile recycling also rocketed from 700kg a week to 1.5tonnes.

Footfall also dramatically increased, with hourly visitors to the rescape banks nearly quadrupling from six before installation, to 23 a year later. The number of visitors who were making the trip specifically to recycle was also greater - leaping from 10% to 19% a year after the banks were installed.

"These results demonstrate that rescape is a groundbreaking product which can specifically help to increase recycling rates," commented Andrew McCaffery, Head of Business Development at Valpak, the leading Producer Responsibility scheme which has developed the rescape recycling banks. "Feedback from our customer surveys show that people really liked the brighter, cleaner, more appealing façade of the banks, with customers giving them an average score of 9.7 out of ten. As a consequence, they felt more inclined to recycle.

"We are also pleased to report that there has been very little impact on kerbside collections in the area where the banks were installed, which implies that the material being collected is from a new source, rather than simply diverted from alternative forms of collection."

The rescape family of recycling banks has been pioneered by Valpak, in partnership with SMF International Ltd and Taylor. As one of the UK's leading provider of street furniture, SMF International have designed and built the recycling banks, while Taylor, an industry leader in waste management and recycling products, will be marketing the rescape family to Local Authorities in the UK.

The rescape centres have been designed to try and overcome common problems associated with recycling sites, such as unsightly containers, lack of information and unrestricted material overflow.

The family of banks comes in a wide range of sizes and colours, and can be custom built. All rescape banks feature lockable doors, with optional information boards and lighting, to make them more appealing and easier to use for the public. Visit www.rescape.org to see the full family range.