A NEW recycling scheme will see businesses on Winsford Industrial Estate clean up the environment and help a Northwich church to raise vital cash.

Companies in Meridian House - a complex home to 30 businesses ranging from IT trainers to foodservice providers - started recycling waste paper last week.

Mike Kelly from environmental charity Groundwork worked with Meridian House manager Anita Lucock to start the scheme, which sees Betty Knight, from Davenham Church, collect the paper from businesses and deliver it to Jiffy at the other end of the estate.

It is a little known fact that the padding in a Jiffy bag - the grey fluffy material - is macerated paper, so the company gladly receives any waste paper it can.

And Davenham Church benefits by earning vital cash from Betty Knight's efforts to round up the waste material and hand it over to Jiffy.

Groundwork provided a storage shed, funded by an Enworks grant, and organisers say everyone working in Meridian House has welcomed the scheme.

Project Manager Greville Kelly of Groundwork said: "This waste paper recycling initiative could be a model for the entire Winsford Estate. It prevents waste entering landfill sites, supports manufacturing in Winsford and assists a local charity"

"Congratulations to all the participants, and thanks for the support provided by Mr Armstrong at Jiffy, Anita Lucock from Meridian House, Pete Price at Corporate Office Solutions and Betty Knight from Davenham Church for helping to launch this waste initiative"

rfraser@guardiangrp.co.uk