INCREASING volumes of recycled waste have left council chiefs in Wiltshire quietly confident of meeting their Government targets.

With landfill sites filling up fast the Government has told local authorities they face penalties and intervention if they fail to meet required recycling levels.

Wiltshire County Council needs to be recycling 33 per cent of household waste by 2005/06 and officers believe this is within their grasp.

County council waste manager Mike Wood said ministers had yet to announce the amount Wiltshire could be fined for missing targets.

He said: "The threat by the Government is that there is a possibility of sending somebody in to take over our waste management. But we believe that we'll achieve the targets so that's not a problem."

West Wiltshire District Council needs to improve its household recycling performance from five per cent in 2002/03 to 25 per cent in 2005/06.

The council said progress has already been made and that the introduction of green bins in Melksham and Trowbridge is having a positive effect on recycling levels all round.

Contractor Hills Waste estimates participation in the black box scheme for glass, paper and cans has doubled in some areas.

September saw 333.7 tonnes collected across the district compared with 267 in August as new rounds began in Bradford, Warminster and Westbury.

A further 16.22 tonnes of paper was collected in areas where the black boxes have yet to be introduced.

The controversial green bin scheme netted 257.1 tonnes of rubbish in its first five weeks and saw progressive increases with each collection. Week A in Melksham saw volumes rise from 25.54 tonnes at the first collection to 56.3 tonnes at the third.

Mini recycling centres have also benefited as September volumes rose to 208.81 tonnes from 200.5 tonnes in August.

District council environmental services portfolio holder Richard Wiltshire said: "The situation can only improve, as we still have some areas where the kerbside collections are not fully in place.

"We do recognise that some people have concerns about how the scheme is operating, and we are doing everything we can to iron out these problems.

"It takes time to adjust to a new way of thinking, but 70 per cent of household rubbish that used to go to landfill can now be recycled if people use their green bin and black box.