DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott has given his backing to a green scheme aimed at encouraging businesses to recycle and help vital cash for pioneering cancer research.

The Imperial Cancer Research Fund has already raised £350,000 from its scheme which encourages companies, councils and other organisations throughout the county to recycle used toner cartridges. The fund can get up to £6.50 for each cartridge it recycles.

Mr Prescott urged companies to join the scheme.

He said: "Hundreds of businesses have already joined the ICRF scheme and contributed a staggering third of a million pounds to the charity, but most companies still throw their used toner cartridges away.

"By recycling instead they would not only be raising vital funds for cancer research, but also helping the environment and saving waste disposal costs under the Landfill Tax."

Carole Scott, of the ICRF, said: "Since the beginning of the year we've raised a further £10,000 in the south of England, a figure people in Oxfordshire have helped raise.

"But it's a fact that still over 100,000 used toner cartridges are thrown away every week, when, with just one call, these could be collected and help make a valuable contribution to helping our work here in Oxford at the Radcliffe Infirmary, the John Radcliffe and the Churchill Hospitals."

She said they were particularly keen to hear from people with the following models of printer cartridges which were especially lucrative: Canon LPB2460; IBM/Lexmark Optra N and OCE 6535.

Anyone interested in joining the scheme should call Ms Scott on 01865 716665.

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