RECYCLING has never been easier in Sandwell after the council extended the opening hours of Oldbury's Shidas Lane waste disposal facility.

Until the end of October the centre will be open from 8am until 8pm during the week and between 7am and 6pm during the weekend.

And residents can now recycle more types of waste than ever before at the Shidas Lane site.

As well as items such as wood, textiles, clothing garden waste and electronics, visitors can now recycle carpets, TV monitors, uPVC, bric-a-brac among others.

Councillor Maria Crompton, cabinet member for highways and environment, said: “Our residents can take advantage of the brighter evenings by using the HRC until 8pm during the week and 6pm on weekends.

“If they are unsure about what can and can’t be recycled, helpful staff are always on hand to advise them."

The site, run by Sandwell’s waste partner Serco, now recycles more than 60 per cent of all waste received and has more than 1,000 visitors a day at peak times of the year.

Jason Holtom, partnership director for Serco, said: “Feedback from residents about the site and service they get has been consistently positive and I encourage all residents to bring their additional recycling to us and make the most of the extended opening hours.

"Where possible, we request that waste is separated before visiting to help speed things up for everybody.”

For more information about the site go to www.sandwell.gov.uk/recycling.