LOCATIONS across southern Oxfordshire have signed up to host collection boxes as part of efforts to recycle more crisp packets.

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils have installed a number of collection boxes in council buildings to support Walkers' national campaign.

People can drop off their empty crisp packets in the reception areas of the councils’ office building in Milton Park, in the Cornerstone arts centre in Didcot and in The Beacon in Wantage.

Caroline Newton, cabinet member for housing and environment at South Oxfordshire District Council said: “The councils are continually looking at ways to increase our recycling through education and promotions such as this and we hope everyone will support it as much as they can.”

All crisp packets are being accepted so long as they are empty and not folded up.

Popcorn bags, crisp tubes, pretzel bags and meat snack bags cannot currently be recycled via the scheme.

Crisp packets often contain metallised plastic film – a product that contains both plastic and metal.

This material is not widely recycled and so they are not part of council kerbside recycling collection services.

All packets placed in the collection boxes will be sent off in bulk to a recycling company and turned into new plastic items.

Elaine Ware, cabinet member for housing and environment at the Vale Council said: “It is our aim to recycle as much material as possible and to reduce the amount of waste going into the grey bins, which is why the councils are getting involved.”