How to encourage people to recycle more of their rubbish is a conundrum that councils and governments have spent years puzzling over, but in York these days they are starting them young. Education reporter HAYDN LEWIS went to the city's Lakeside Primary School to meet an army of young eco-warriors who have declared war on waste.

GETTING children interested in recycling might seem like a bit of a chore, but at one York school youngsters are taking the message home that more can be done with waste than just leaving it out for the binmen.

Lakeside Primary School in Clifton Moor has formed its own eco committee - a band of 15 pupils who are trying to make the school more environmentally-friendly.

The school has signed up to the Eco Schools programme, which is a Europe-wide award scheme that works to decrease the impact that schools have on the environment.

As part of this process, all the school's waste paper will now be collected by York-based Toucan Archive Storage on a Tuesday, and the school will receive £15 for every tonne of paper that can be recycled.

The eco committee is made up of two or three representatives from each year group and two teachers.

The Press spoke to seven youngsters on the committee and their teacher about their new roles.

Olivia Thomson, 11, said: "I think we all believe that the environment needs preserving, and at the minute we are trying to persuade all the mums and dads to bring their waste paper and use our bins so the school get the money."

Suha Kurer, seven, said: "People need to bring in all kinds of paper - white paper, newspaper and coloured."

Alex Tattersall, seven, said: "We try and encourage people to bring in fruit and drinks that don't have a lot of packaging on them."

Jack Rientoul, ten, said: "I like animals and I don't really see why they should suffer because people aren't recycling stuff."

Ariel Hayes, nine, said she does her bit for the environment by cycling into school every day.

"I bike to school and my dad bikes to work instead of driving and a lot of my friends already do that," she said.

Lucy Sherwood, eight, said: "We were all voted on to the committee by our classes."

Yasmine Hammadache, nine, said: "We have been learning not to use as much heating in schools."

Parents can help by sending all their waste paper to school on a Tuesday instead of leaving it for City of York Council to recycle it with their green bin collection.

Karen Badeley, from City of York Council, took a special school assembly on Monday to talk to the children about Eco Schools.

And as a result of the assembly, a letter will be sent to parents informing them of our recycling and the contribution they can make. The businesses on Clifton Moor will also be written to, to ask if they too would like to have recycling bins.

The next step for the school is to carry out an environmental review which will be completed by the Year 6 children. They will use a handbook which will ask them questions about all environmental issues relating to their school.

This will enable them to write an action plan and cost the improvements needed. The whole school are being asked to contribute ideas that will become Lakeside School's Eco Code.

Janette Hill, one of the teachers involved, said: "It's a really exciting time for us here.

"We are only just beginning this process, but the children have been really keen and hopefully they will be taking the message home.

"Our next step is to ask local businesses to become a sponsor by agreeing to recycle all their waste paper in a Toucan bin and we are working towards getting an eco award."

If you or your workplace can help Lakeside School by becoming a sponsor, phone Mrs Hill on 01904 691473.

Updated: 11:05 Wednesday, May 17, 2006