ECO-FRIENDLY householders in Amesbury have even more reason to recycle their rubbish from this week.

On Tuesday, a new £400,000 household recycling centre opened to the public in Mills Way.

Cutting the ribbon at the official opening was Wiltshire county council cabinet member for waste and planning, Toby Sturgis.

He said: "This centre is part of our war on rubbish.

"Householders across Wiltshire are increasing the amount of rubbish they produce by five per cent a year.

"Disposing of this mountain into a hole in the ground not only damages the environment but will cost the county council an extra £610,000 next year - the equivalent of half of one per cent on the council tax."

The centre was built for the county council by waste disposal contractor Hills Minerals and Waste Ltd, as part of Wiltshire Waste Partnership's bid to reduce the 250,000 tonnes of household waste dumped into the county's landfill sites each year.

South Wilts residents can now dispose of a massive array of waste at the centre, including paper, glass, cans, cardboard, plastic bottles, timber, fridges, cookers, rubble, soil and even oil.

Hills Group managing director Alan Pardoe said: "We are delighted to be opening this facility in Amesbury.

"It is the seventh built by Hills Recycling in Wiltshire and should make a significant impact on recycling levels."

The facility is the ninth to be built in the county, and plans are in place to provide an expanded kerbside recycling scheme for Salisbury district residents.