THREE pupils at Whitton Green Primary School, in Lowestoft, have challenged a council which they claim has prevented them from setting up a recycling scheme.

THREE pupils at Whitton Green Primary School, in Lowestoft, have challenged a council which they claim has prevented them from setting up a recycling scheme.

Tayler Gee, Marianne Hicks and Sharna Callighan are all members of the eco committee at the school, in Westwood Avenue.

But the trio say despite asking for a blue wheelie bin from Suffolk County Council, so they could pursue their aim of recycling, more than four months later they are still waiting.

Tayler and Marianne, who are in year four, are now concerned that they won't be able to get the project under way before they leave to go to middle school in the summer.

“Recycling is good for the environment,” said Marianne.

“We just want to put lots of paper and hard plastic in and collect as much as we can. We will also put boxes in each class. We've been waiting for ages, since Christmas, and we still haven't got it.”

“And if we don't recycling waste goes to landfill,” added Tayler.

Deputy headteacher Susan Perry said she had contacted the council several times to be told it would arrive soon.

“The children are upset because they can't do anything until it comes. To start with they wanted to charge us, but now I understand that's not the case. Young people are our next generation and they deserve to have the bin.”

So far the group has collected other pupils' unwanted Christmas cards to help raise awareness for recycling.

The school also received a visit from a waste recycling officer who showed them how to make paper from recycled goods.

The school is already a healthy school and eco school, and children grow their own vegetables from the outside courtyard.

A Suffolk County Council spokesmann said: “When Whitton Green Primary School joined the Waveney recycling initiative for schools there were no 1,100-litre or 660-litre bins in stock.

“The recycle bins are now back in stock and the school will receive them in the next few weeks. The county council has contacted the school to update them on the progress.”