SCHOOLCHILDREN across Herefordshire are leading the charge against wastefulness with a new recycling project.

The brainchild of Herefordshire Community Clean Up group founder, Andrew Wood, the seeds for the project were sown last year, when Mr Wood began to investigate the options for recycling rubbish collected on community litter picks.

A subsidiary group - Hereford Community Recycling Raising Money for Local Charities - was set up and, before long, had garnered a strong following.

The group recycles items from crisp packets to mobile phones, bed linen, saucepans and computer cables to raise money for county charities.

And now, they are taking their mission a step further, with education on the agenda.

"We needed a way forward," Mr Wood said.

"Litter had become a serious problem and not enough was being done to sort it. We needed a way forward, something educational.

"My idea was to ask a business to sponsor a school, initially primary schools in Hereford.

"The fee the business paid would pay for four coloured recycling bins for the schools, who would then, via their Eco Clubs, choose which items they wish to recycle.

"The scheme is driven by the children with the help of teachers and parents, we are just giving them the tools to carry it out.

"And hopefully over time the sponsor and the school will build a relationship. Lord Scudamore, for example, are starting a project looking at the history of railways in Hereford, and the station - their sponsor - has kindly allowed them to display the project in the waiting room.

"These businesses will also have a need for employees in years to come, and what better way to show off what they do and inspire these youngsters?"

Interest in the project has been so great that what was initially envisaged as a plan for the city's schools has already expanded across the county.

"We have about 27 primary schools currently signed up to the project and being set up with a business sponsor," Mr Wood said.

"We want to expand these drop-off points to secondary schools, kindergartens, shops and more, but we need your help!"

For more information, to become a sponsor or to contact the group, visit the Hereford Community Recycling Raising Money for Local Charities Facebook page here.