OXFORD residents are not recycling enough waste, a senior councillor has warned, as a new bin regime is rolled out across the city.

Oxford’s recycling rate has been stuck at about 38 per cent for the last two years, falling short of the city council’s target of 40 per cent.

This week, more than 40,000 large blue wheelie bins are being delivered to households across the city, to take items currently put into boxes and bins.

The bins can take glass; paper, card and cardboard; metal cans and foil; plastics and drinks cartons and Tetra-Pak containers.

All are fitted with microchips but the council says this is simply for identification.

John Tanner, the city council's executive member for a greener Oxford, said: “Oxford needs to buck its ideas up.”

The Labour councillor said he hoped the new bins would improve recycling rates.

Mr Tanner said: “In a year’s time I hope to see a difference, but it depends on everyone in Oxford playing their part.

“You can put so much into the blue bin it makes recycling easy.”

Weekly food waste collections introduced earlier this summer will continue.

The council says an increase in the recycling rate is essential as it diverts waste away from landfill sites, the use of which incurs a financial penalty for the council.

Mr Tanner said: “We’re still sending far too much to landfill. Most people are good but some aren’t playing the game.”

Elsewhere in the county, South Oxfordshire leads the way, recycling 70 per cent of its waste. Cherwell recycles 51 per cent, Vale of White Horse 36 per cent and West Oxfordshire 34 per cent. The national average for councils is 35 per cent.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jean Fooks, who introduced the alternate weekly waste collection system to the city when her party ran the council, said Labour should have done more to encourage residents to recycle.

Before alternate collections were introduced in 2007 the city’s recycling rate had been just 19 per cent.

Ms Fooks said: “I wouldn’t blame the people of Oxford. They (the council) haven’t done what they said they would, and could, do. They have not got people sufficiently engaged. It’s very disappointing.”

The new system is costing £600,000 but the council says it will save £1m a year, as the new system will need fewer vehicles and 20 fewer workers.

There will be no redundancies as staff will not be replaced on retirement or if they leave the council.

The launch of the blue bins recycling system follows the opening of a new recycling facility at Enstone, near Chipping Norton, which can recycle a wide range of materials, including plastics and drinks cartons.

Homes not able to accommodate the new blue 240 litre bin can continue to use their existing recycling containers or can have a smaller bin.

If residents no longer need their blue and green boxes for recycling and they cannot find an alternative use for them, then the council will arrange to collect them.

Vale of White Horse District Council is launching an extended recycling scheme on October 4 and West Oxfordshire District Council is also making changes to its waste service in November.