Worthing householders are coming to terms with controversial changes to the borough's rubbish collection system.

They are also recycling more than 15 per cent of their waste compared with a figure of just over ten per cent last year.

Councillor Peter Green, the council's executive member for environmental services said: "I am glad that the figures for recycling are continuing to hold up.

"More than 157 tonnes of green waste has now gone to be composted which last year would have been put in a landfill site.

"The amount of recyclables we are collecting has also gone up.

"More than 2,500 new grey boxes are being distributed to households on the waiting list so the recycling figure should continue to get better."

In the days following the council's changes, workers at the town's refuse depot were overwhelmed by more than 7,000 calls from people who were either angry or confused by changes to the system under which residents were required to move household waste from the back to the front of their homes.

A fortnight later, the number of calls had fallen to 4,000 a week, with more queries than complaints.

Coun Green said: "It is good news that the number of phone calls and queries to our contract services section is now back to the level before the new scheme started.

"We are working our way through the list of all those who applied for personal exemptions from leaving their refuse at the front and will continue to collect as before until they have been visited."

However, councillors have been warned that 70 per cent of the town's residents are still not recycling and to meet future government targets there would have to be further education of the public.