Three York residents have already been reaping the green rewards of City of York Council's big waste management consultation.

After taking part in the council's Let's Talk Rubbish questionnaire - part of a county wide consultation over the future of waste disposal and recycling across North Yorkshire - the three were entered into a prize draw as a reward for their contributions.

And today, the trio were presented with special green prizes by Councillor Dave Merrett, the council's executive member for planning and transport who has responsibility for waste management in the city.

The three prize winners were Duncan Brereton of Clifton, who won a wind up radio; Mrs Louise Thomas of Copmanthorpe, who got a wind up torch and Nicholas Granville, of Dunnington who was presented with a warm fleece jacket made from recycle plastic bottles.

City of York Council revealed on Monday that the surveys in York and across North Yorkshire had demonstrated widespread enthusiasm for more recycling and waste reduction initiatives as part of the county's waste management plan for the next 20 years.

Councillor Merrett said, "It is fitting that the prizes we have given out today reflect the public's concern with conserving energy, recycling and reducing the amount of waste we all produce.

"The draw was a fun element of the consultation but our job now is to try to implement as green a waste management policy as we possibly can over the next 20 years.

"We had a very encouraging response to the survey and people are telling us they want to work their local councils to waste less and recycle more."

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