A QUARTER of Shropshire households have ordered a new recycling bin, new figures show.

The additional bins, which will be rolled out in May – will replace the existing black recycling boxes, and help to increase the amount of waste recycled by providing households with a larger container.

The webpage to request one launched last Thursday and was so popular it caused a crash that afternoon.

Now, Shropshire Council has confirmed 43,000 bins have been ordered in the week since which equates to 25 per cent of the eligible 137,000 households in the county.

Announcing the launch of the webpage last week, Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for waste and recycling, said: “I’m delighted that council has agreed to fund the rollout of the additional bin for and that people are now able to order theirs.

“The provision of a bin for recycling is a direct response to residents’ comments and requests – and is a pledge we made in our election manifesto last year.

“It’s clear that it’s something that many people want, and it’s something that will help us to boost the amount of waste that is recycled in Shropshire.”

The bins - which are optional and free - have been approved by councillors at a cost of almost £3 million.

To place an order before the cut-off of April 1 visit https://shropshire.gov.uk/requestmixedrecyclingbin