It is believed the plans will save money in the long term as well as be more environmentally friendly.

The cost of waste disposal is set to rise as the government initiated landfill tax increases, and thousands of new homes are built.

In 2004, Cambridgeshire County Council spent about �7m to landfill 200,000 tonnes of rubbish. Now it aims to lead the way in recycling waste.

South Cambridgeshire District Council intends to become the best recycling local authority for 2004/05.