KITCHEN waste from homes across one area of Hampshire could be helping to save the planet.

Eastleigh Borough Council is determined to keep its 'king of recycling' crown by trailblazing a new green initiative involving the weekly collection of cooked and uncooked food waste, including vegetable peelings, bones, tea bags and eggshells.

During December, 1,000 households in the Hedge End area will be asked to take part in the trial.

This will help the council gather information about the amount of food waste, normally emptied into the black bin, that can be collected and sent to a special treatment plant for composting.

Council leader Keith House said: "Food waste can form up to 30 per cent of the average rubbish bin contents and until now this has had to be buried in landfill or incinerated.

"Eastleigh will be the first in Hampshire to launch this service, starting with the trial."

Homes involved are being asked to put their food waste into a new brown kitchen wastebin, which will be collected each week by a separate refuse lorry on the usual bin collection day.

The waste will then be combined with other organic waste and processed to produce a soil conditioner.