Householders need to more than double the amount of waste they recycle if the district is to achieve its tough targets, it was revealed yesterday.

The announcement came as councillors and representatives were told Bradford Council was working to increase recycling rates of all waste collected from ten per cent now to 25 per cent by 2005.

Director of the Council's environmental protection and waste management, Richard Wixey, said: "How we will meet our target is entirely in the hands of the rest of Bradford.

"We have come up with strategies that are simple and practical. But we need to build up a recycling culturel."

Mr Wixey, speaking at the first of two public hearings in Bradford this month, said the Council had already reviewed a number of services to increase recycling and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill sites.

A £2.6 million investment in household waste sites, including the redevelopment of Dowley Gap, was one way the Council hoped to up the amount of waste reused in Bradford.

Mr Wixey said: "Recycling rates are already higher at household waste sites because staff are on hand to encourage people to sort through their waste and put it in different containers. But with extra investment we think we can increase this."

He announced plans to introduce a new site in the Bradford North area to make it easier for householders to dump their waste.

And he revealed the household waste site in Ilkley was next on the list for refurbishment.

The introduction of paper recycling bins to homes across the district was also a positive step.

Mr Wixey said: "We have rolled out 85,000 new kerbside bins in the last year and have just applied for funding to introduce another 30,000. "There are around 200,000 households in the district."

The Council will hear the views of agencies including Leeds University, Durham City Council and Bradford Environmental Action Trust (BEAT) at the second public hearing on January 26.

The public is invited to attend the meeting at City Hall from 11am until 3pm but will not be able to join in the discussion.

For further information call Paul Charity on (01274) 434007.