Householders are being urged to get serious about recycling to avoid rises in council tax.

Hampshire Euro MP Richard Ashworth is warning that the government is likely to pass on hefty fines to local councils if they fail to help it meet tough EU targets to cut down on waste going to landfill.

Some parts of Europe have recycling rates of 60 to 70 per cent while Hampshire's average is about 30 per cent.

Latest figures show Winchester is the worst performer, on just 20.2 per cent, while Southampton's rates rose from cent from 17.6 per cent to 25.7 per cent in 2005-6.

"The more rubbish we send to landfill, the more we run the risk of fines from both our own government and the EU," warned Mr Ashworth.

"Some very small changes in our routine can help alleviate the problem, such as composting kitchen leftovers and recycling things like supermarket bags.

"Far too many products are over-packaged and, while it may make some goods look more attractive, the packaging could increase the risk of fines from the government and the EU."

The government has introduced the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) to help local authorities meet the targets.

It intends to impose fines of £150 per tonne if they break their allowances.

Southampton MP Alan Whitehead has called for more recycling to tackle climate change and backed a "pay-as-you-throw" charging system.

The move is also supported by the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents town halls across Britain.

Figures produced by the LGA show the UK dumps more municipal waste into landfill than any other EU state - the equivalent of half a tonne per household.