IT was a case of "can do" when Corus Steel Packaging Recycling joined up with Todd Waste Management Ltd to give recycling a major boost in North Yorkshire.

For the past three years Todd's, a long-established Thirsk-based family company dealing in waste disposal and scrap recovery, has committed itself to recycling with "bring" banks and a market for recyclable material, including cans for Hambleton District Council.

Two years ago, the firm also took over the Save-a-Can schemes run by the former British Steel in York, Ryedale, Harrogate and East Riding.

The result was a massive volume of cans which ballooned to 4.4 million a year for recycling. It meant that Todd's had to look at the efficiency of its can separation process.

What was clearly needed was a conveying line with a powerful overhead magnet to speed up the operation and keep costs down.

Enter Corus Steel, which is licensed through the Environment Agency to sell Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) - its redeemable vouchers awarded for its own "green" processes - in order to help recycling projects.

The result was that Corus shared costs with Todd's for the £10,000 equipment which is up and roaring through the canny process of steel can sorting.