Basildon Council has launched a recycling competition as part of a bid to boost recycling rates in the borough.

Residents are being asked to Tweet or post photos on Facebook of them recycling the chosen item of the week and they will then be entered into a prize draw to win a £25 High Street voucher.

Council officers will also be visiting a road within the borough each week on recycling day.

A resident will then be chosen at random within that road and if they have the item of the week in their recycling, they will also win a £25 voucher.

The competition starts on Monday, October 8 with garden waste being the item of the week. Photos need to be submitted by October 14.

Each week the item will change and the competition will run until Christmas.

To enter, Tweet a picture of you with the week’s recyclable material to @starveyourbin or @basildoncouncil or use the hashtag #getrecycling to be in with a chance of winning.

Alternatively post a picture to the Recycle for Basildon Facebook group.

The aim of the contest is to drive up the council’s recycling rate to 55 per cent by April 2013.