Recycling is on the increase across Warwick district according to a councillor celebrating the success of the new 123+ waste collection service.

Warwick District Council introduced its new three-weekly bin collections with Stratford District Council in August, and say it has prompted locals to think more about how they dispose of their rubbish.

Speaking at this week's full WDC meeting, Cllr Jody Tracey said: "We have now had the initial results for the first two months of the new 123+ service with Biffa. 

"I am pleased to advise members that in line with our expectations, the percentage of total waste to recycling including garden and food waste has increased across the district by ten per cent to over 62 per cent in September. 

"At the same time the average level of grey bin waste per household has decreased by over a third to just over 21kg per month."

The new service, which collects 287,000 bins from 135,000 households across both districts each week, has received similar praise from counterparts in Stratford.

SDC head of environmental services Julie Lewis said councillors should be "singing from the rooftops" about the new arrangements, and said worries over fly-tipping had been unfounded.

But Cllr Alan Boad told this week's WDC meeting that problems persisted.

"We all keep patting ourselves on the back and saying how great 123+ is," he said, "only to find that I'm contacted by a resident in reaction to our newsletter that they have applied for a green bin five months ago, then applied again a month ago and still never got it.

"What are we doing to make sure that people who are contacting the call centre are getting a response, because this is plainly ridiculous? 

"I know we are not running the call centre but it bounces back on this authority as being totally inefficient."

Cllr Tracey responded: "I am currently not aware and to the best of my knowledge neither are the officers, of any outstanding applications for any additional green bins or caddies."

He said he would come back to the council with more information.