STAFF and pupils at Eldene Primary are being encouraged to recycle almost everything they use in an effort to improve facilities at the school.

Not so long ago the weekly mountain of paper and cardboard from art and craft lessons was binned along with waste chocolate wrappers and crisp packets.

But since the school joined a pioneering initiative designed to encourage schools across the country to recycle more, staff at the school have noted a 90 per cent increase in their paper recycling alone.

And now the 430 pupils, aged four to 11, are in line to reap the benefits through a series of awards and financial rewards that could see them kitted out with the latest sports equipment.

Environmental co-ordinator Eirian Painter, 26, said: "Recycling is a big thing for this school and its students at the moment. Before we started this scheme we recycled so little paper waste that it was difficult to register it as a percentage. But seeing that the school runs on paper of all kinds from art lessons to leaflets, it made sense for us to do something about it.

"Around 90 per cent of paper is being saved, whereas before it was going straight into the bin as any normal rubbish would."

Even Swindon and Covingham Park Junior School are the other schools in the borough to have signed up to the Eco Schools Project, which audits schools' waste levels and environmental strategies.

Schools are rewarded with a series of awards ranging from a bronze medal to a green flag according to how much they recycle and provided they meet targets, money saved on recycling could allow them to fund extra projects.

Pupils at Eldene are putting every scrap of waste paper in special bins, which have been left in every classroom, with the knowledge that the more they recycle the sooner they can set up a lending library for use after school and replenish dated sports equipment.

"We only started this project about three weeks ago and already it's proving very successful," said Ms Painter.

"This is something every school needs to do and it surprises me that schools do not do more to encourage recycling."

Recent estimates suggest that just 16 per cent of household waste across Wiltshire is being recycled.