Five hundred cherry trees are being offered free to people in Wiltshire to thank them for their recycling efforts.

The Hills Group, Wiltshire's waste disposal contractor, has now ensured that 500,000 tonnes of household waste has been recycled since it started its contract in 1996.

The Marlborough-based firm operates household waste and recycling services for the Wiltshire Waste Partnership, which is made up of the county, four district councils and Swindon Borough Council.

The milestone comes as new figures show that people in Wiltshire recycle more of their household waste than ever before.

The figures for 2006/7 show that 38.5 per cent of household waste was recycled - this compares with 31.6 per cent for 2005/6 - which is double what it was in 2002 and well on the way to achieving the partnership's target of 40 per cent by 2010.

To mark this, Hills is offering 500 cherry trees to customers who use any of the 10 Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) in the county.

Each 5ft tree will consume a tonne of carbon over its lifetime, allowing people to put something back into the environment.

The British Wild Cherry trees, which are pot grown, are due to bud and flower at the end of April. They are suitable for growing in containers or planting out.

Mike Webster, general manger of Hills Waste Solutions, said: "Hills takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and we also want to say thank you to everyone who has been making an effort to recycle their waste.

"Through our partnership with Wiltshire's county and district councils we have continually reached and passed the targets set for waste and recycling.

"We plan to go on improving our performance in the years to come and helping reduce the amount of waste Wiltshire sends to landfill.

"Meanwhile these trees will brighten up gardens across the county and do their own little bit to tackle climate change."

The trees will be available at each of the HRCs from Thursday, April 19. They will be offered on a first come, first served basis to residents who bring waste to the HRCs to be recycled.

Toby Sturgis, Wiltshire County Council's cabinet member for planning and waste, said: "Hills has proved a valuable partner in helping people in Wiltshire make such great strides in recycling their household waste.

"I believe that if we can keep on giving people support and encouragement we can reach our target of 40 per cent well before our 2010 deadline."

For more information on waste and recycling in Wiltshire visit www.recycleforwiltshire.com