Schools and homes which are green with their garbage will win prizes under an environmentally-friendly project.

The aim is to reward people who recycle more rubbish and reduce the amount of waste they throw away.

Brighton and Hove City Council has launched the Schools Community Recycling Initiative, involving ten primary and junior schools and their communities.

Schools will be given funding to produce learning materials, organise events or set up a recycling lottery.

Communities which recycle the most rubbish will win cash prizes for their nearest school, which can then spend it on sprucing up the school grounds.

Coun Gill Mitchell, Brighton & Hove Council's environment spokeswoman, is highly enthusiastic.

She said: "We are very excited to be involved in this project and we are looking forward to getting started and making it a success.

"Recycling is one of our top priorities and getting the city's children involved ensures we are passing on a positive message to the next generation."

Around 50 schemes are being tried around the country to find out which is most successful in encouraging people to recycle more of their rubbish.

West Sussex County Council, in conjunction with local district councils, parish councils, housing associations and businesses, has launched four schemes to encourage recycling.

These include:

*Giving shopping vouchers in exchange for boxes of recycled waste in Wick, Durrington, Eastbourne and Wealden;

*Handing cash rewards to six primary schools in Lewes, Adur, Horsham and Rother, depending on how much waste households recycle;

*Villages in Mid-Sussex and Hastings increasing recycling rates in a bid to scoop monthly cash prizes of £400, £200 and £100;

*Awarding leisure vouchers to regular recyclers in pilot areas in Hastings and Mid-Sussex.

Environment minister Ben Bradshaw said: "We want to find new ways to encourage these people to start recycling and help regular recyclers by making it easier for them to fit recycling into their lives."