Onchan has a new bin lorry.

The commissioners have spent an undisclosed sum on a new Dennis Eagle refuse vehicle to replace a 15-year-old one. It joins a fleet of three other vehicles.

Ross Philips, the district surveyor, said: ’We are always looking for ways to modernise and make our team as efficient as possible.

’Replacing vehicles with new and more cost-effective variants is one way that we can achieve this.’

The new wagon is already being used, following staff training.

A spokesman for the local authority said: ’Onchan District Commissioners hope that this will be the first of many changes to move Onchan forward and to offer a more efficient and environmentally-friendly service for Onchan ratepayers.’

Meanwhile, Douglas Council has added a new kerbside collection vehicle to its fleet.

Onchan pulled out of kerbside collections in a scheme involving Douglas, Braddan and Onchan, a few years ago, leaving people who want to recycle having to go to bins at a few points in the village.

Douglas’s new low-emission kerbsider is fitted with four collection compartments that hold paper, glass bottles, cans and plastic bottles, and has a wheelie bin lifting mechanism to serve the council’s commercial recycling customers.

Each side of the vehicle bears a prominent awareness-raising message.

One reads: ’Every year the Isle of Man bins the weight of 286 killer whales in plastic’; the other: ’Every year we recycle 835 tonnes of paper, saving 20,040 trees.’

Recycling champion and environmental services committee chairman Councillor Ritchie McNicholl said: ’It’s clear there’s a willingness, in principle at least, among the people of the Isle of Man to recycle or to recycle more and I was interested to learn that in a recent Manx Radio survey "What Matters Most" concerns about recycling was a recurrent theme.

’The council is doing all it can to alert customers - domestic and commercial - to the importance of recycling.

’In addition, we listen and respond to customer feedback to identify how we can improve the service. Getting more people to recycle, though, is also about changing behaviours and strengthening public engagement.

’To this end our waste services team regularly host tours of the council’s recycling operation at our Ballacottier service centre and deliver educational talks in schools.

’We’re constantly reviewing our kerbside collection operation with a view to not only making it more accessible to customers but also to investigate opportunities for expanding the service.

’Meanwhile, this latest addition to our vehicle fleet will help to make our kerbside collection more economically and environmentally efficient.’

Getting rid of rubbish is costing local authorities more.

Gate costs at the incinerator, where some of the waste is burned to produce electricity, rose 5.73% in April.