A waste project which is being funded by a 38 per cent rise in council tax bills was launched in Eastbourne today.

More than 34,000 wheelie bins and recycling boxes are being delivered as part of a multi-million pound waste contract.

Delivery of the first batch was taking place in the eastern part of town this morning, with residents in Queen's Crescent and Queen's Road first to receive them.

The bins and boxes will help Liberal Democrat-held Eastbourne Borough Council hit tough government recycling targets.

Figures reveal that Eastbourne only recycles seven per cent of domestic waste. The Government insists that figure must rise to 30 per cent by 2010.

The bins and boxes are being delivered to all households in the resort by French-owned waste company Sita.

The firm began a £3 million, seven-year contract in Eastbourne on April 1 this year.

Homeowners were hit with a colossal 38 per cent increase, of which 37 per cent was down to the waste contract.

Lib Dem leaders said a new waste contractor had to be appointed because its contract with Serviceteam had expired.

Mayor Olive Woodall heralded the introduction of wheelie bins and recycling boxes, saying Eastbourne would now be a beacon for environmental excellence.

She said today: "It will be marvellous to drive around Eastbourne without so many horrible and unhygienic black bags littering our streets, particularly on collection days.

"Wheelie bins and recycling boxes will make Eastbourne a cleaner place to live and help us to make the town an example of environmental good practice."

All 34,000 bins and boxes will reach homes by the autumn and residents do not have to be at home when they are delivered.

Sita regional director Peter Hathaway said: "We're looking forward to working with both the council and the community to get the new scheme off the ground and helping them achieve their targets for recycling."

Meanwhile, an initiative to encourage people in East Sussex to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost their rubbish got under way today.

A bus housing an exhibition on ways to cut waste will visit sport centres, community groups and schools throughout the county this month.