A housing association has introduced two environmental schemes.

Residents of a sheltered housing scheme in Botley, Oxford, are to get a recycling scheme to bring them in line with other people in the Vale of White Horse District Council.

Field House, in West Way, is to have a bin store converted to take recycled items. It will contain several boxes for different types of waste.

Graham Wells, one of the scheme's managers from the Vale Housing Association, said: "One elderly person living on their own might use only a couple of recyclable items a week which would not really warrant them getting a green box.

"But when you multiply this by the 65 residents in the scheme, that is a lot of waste that can be recycled."

Pensioner Olive Hockley said: "It's a great idea because in a place as big as this so much rubbish goes to waste that can be recycled."

If the scheme proves a succes, the Vale Housing Association said it plans to extend it to some of its other sheltered housing properties.

In another environmental move, the housing association is adding six liquid petroleum gas (LPG) vans to its fleet.

The vans can run on petrol or LPG, which is gaining increasing support because its reduces carbon diozide emissions.

That in turn helps reduce global warming and improves the quality of air.

Sian Llewellyn, of the association, said: "LPG is also a quieter fuel, with vehicles being up to 50 per cent quieter both internally and externally."

She added: "As the fuel is about half as expensive as diesel it will allow the association to spend more money on improving services in other areas."