The initiative was set up by leading recycling and resource management company SITA UK, in partnership with Gateshead Council, in July this year. The aim was to assess the mixed recyclable waste brought in by the public which was not put into recycling containers and which would normally be landfilled.

The waste was initially examined at the HWRCs at Cowen Road in Blaydon and Campground in Wrekenton before being sent to Campground Transfer Station for segregation.

Andrew Hughes, Regional Manager for SITA UK was pleased with the initial success of the scheme. He said: "Results have indicated that we can recycle an extra 20 per cent of the waste brought in by the public for disposal. If we can apply this to all of the waste that comes into the centres, we could potentially save over 1000 tonnes from going to landfill every year and increase the recycling figures for Gateshead."

He added: "After evaluating the trial we have agreed with Gateshead Council to extend the initiative until March 2010 with an extra member of staff on site over the weekends as almost 50 per cent of the waste brought to the site arrives on Saturday or Sunday. We will review the scheme again in March next year with a view to rolling this out permanently."

Gateshead Council cabinet member for the environment Cllr Michael McNestry said: "We're committed to reducing the amount of waste which we send to landfill so such a marked increase in our recycling at our Household Waste Recycling Centres is a great boost.

"Now that this initiative has been extended I look forward to many hundreds of tonnes of extra waste being recycled."