Swindon's new recycling scheme has come in for some criticism since its launch earlier this month.

Adver reporter Gareth Bethell spent a morning with those who are working hard to turn it around

A FEW old newspapers, an empty bottle of wine and a discarded tin of beans might not look much but it's the sort of stuff that is turning Swindon into champions of recycling.

Although the scheme, launched earlier this month, got off to a less than spectacular start, waste bosses say we are now getting through more than 20 tonnes of recycling a day.

Stuart Dodds and Dave Shallam crew one of the six new Kerbsider collection lorries which set out across Swindon every morning.

While complaints over collections continue to be aired these guys say that the majority of people are giving the recycling their full support.

And after spending the morning with them yesterday it was clear that they're not talking rubbish.

It was a 7.30am start for the team and Moredon was our destination.

But rather than the confusion leading to no-one putting their recycling out, the streets were lined with the orange bins, like fairy lights at Christmas.

"It's getting better," Dave said. "The first week was atrocious but people know what we can take and when we're coming now."

Stuart agreed: "We get a really good response and the pubic tell us we're doing a good job.

"We have had a few teething problems but it just takes a while to get it all fine tuned.

"It's really starting to take off now and I think in the next couple of months it will do so even more."

Manoeuvring their way past the dozens of parked cars, with the dulcet tones of Terry Wogan for company, one by one they sift through the bins separating the paper, cans, glass and textiles.

It's a painstaking process that I was surprised to find goes on.

And I wasn't the only one.

Moredon resident, Lynda Vassie, 50, of Locksgreen Crescent, said: "Now that I know they are sorting it rather than it just going in one container I think it's great.

"I thought it would all just go in together but I can see it's being done properly.

"I have never sorted my rubbish before but I'm doing it now.

"It's been a bit of a mix up to begin with but I think we should all get involved and take part."

The numbers suggest that many of us are.

Operations manager of Waterside Recycling Park, based in Cheney Manor, Sean Magee, says the national average for take up with recycling is 60 per cent while in Swindon it is closer to 80 per cent.

"We are overwhelmed with the amount coming in," he said.

"We must be one of the best town's in the country for recycling.

"It's higher than expected and although we have had early teething problems we hope that they have been rectified now.

"We hope people really keep up the amount that's coming in and we want to thank them for their support and patience."