PUPILS who were forced to abandon recycling have got their green schemes back on track thanks to three local companies who came to their aid after The Gazette highlighted the children's plight.

Kempshott Junior School, in Old Down Close, Kempshott, Basingstoke, has been able to resurrect its classroom recycling scheme thanks to a sponsorship programme from Pentura Ltd, Barry Gardiner Skips and GB Foot Ltd.

This will cover the £300 fee charged by Onyx - a private company - to remove recyclables from schools. The company handles waste collection for Hampshire County Council.

Each classroom now has a bin set aside for waste paper and this is emptied every day by classroom monitors.

Headteacher Pam Wellington said the pupils have welcomed the return of recycling.

She said: "The bins are falling apart from so much use, so the children have decided to sell cakes in an attempt to raise money to replace them."

The Gazette - The Basingstoke Extra's sister paper - first brought the situation at Kempshott Junior School to light in April last year when the county council took away the responsibility for collecting waste from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which had offered free collection of recyclables for schools, and installed Onyx in its place.

The collection charge meant the school had to abandon collections, but now pupils are taught about recycling in their lessons and Mrs Wellington believes the revived service will benefit the children even further.

"They are becoming independent as they have organised everything themselves," she said.

"They are establishing values that, hopefully, they will adopt for the rest of their lives."

First published: April 26, 2006