RECYCLING Zone is the name of a green scheme launched in Newport in May of this year to which 65 companies have signed up.

It promotes the recycling of aluminium drink cans and bottles within offices to benefit the environment and the bottom line.

Now one of its backers, Coca-Cola Enterprises, want to reward Newport's champion recycler with the prize of a couple of tickets to a Millennium Stadium final.

Recycling Zone comes in the wake of UK Environment Minister Elliott Morley claiming that targets for recycling are not being taken seriously by local authorities.

It's a collaboration between Newport Waste-savers, Coca-Cola Enter-prises, Alcan, Recoup, Alupro and WRAP.

One of the largest offices in the scheme is Lloyds TSB, based at Tredegar Park. Patrick Stokes, facilities manager, said: "Lloyds TSB puts a big emphasis on its environmental responsibility.

"Recycling Zone not only provides us with the perfect opportunity to help our employees to recycle their drinks containers, it saves us money as well.

"If the used cans and bottles we generate were not recycled they would be landfilled. This would form part of our site refuse, for which we would be charged for collection and disposal. The fewer skips we need, the lower our costs are."

Claire Levens, public affairs manager for Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: "The Recycling Zone pilot scheme in Newport is progressing very well.

"Not only is the environment benefiting, the companies involved are seeing an additional return from their involvement. We hope this will act as an extra incentive in encouraging more New-port firms to join the scheme."

Mike Croxford, general manager of Newport Wastesavers, said: "Response to the Recycling Zone initiative from local companies has been terrific. We've found that large offices and companies with in-house canteens have been particularly enthusiastic.

"The feedback from offices has been that the more comprehensive the service, the better, so we are working to make recycling as easy as possible."

Around 2,000 million aluminium cans and 500 million plastic bottles were recycled in the UK last year. It is said that if all the aluminium drinks cans sold in the UK were recycled, there would be 14m fewer dustbins.

Coca-Cola's competition idea is for people within offices to send a postcard to Business Argus, nominating the recycling champion in their office. They don't have to be part of the Recycling Zone scheme.

A winner would then be judged, with the prize of two tickets to the Millennium Stadium to see the sporting event of their choice (FA Cup tickets not included).