Every house in Liverpool will have the blues as part of the final phase of the recycling service is rolled out.

Over the next fortnight 30,000 terraced properties will receive a 55 litre light blue recycling box, a customised version of the wheelie bin, made specifically for smaller properties.

At the same time, 30,000 wheeled bins are being rolled out to households and some flats across the city which weren't included in the first phase.  

It means that all 195,000 houses in Liverpool will have access to the city council's kerbside recycling service.

Liverpool city council's executive member for the environment, Lib Dem Councillor Berni Turner, said: "We started rolling out the blue bins nearly a year ago and initially included 100,000 households in the service, but we always knew the wheelie bin wasn't a 'one size fits all' solution.

"Since the first roll out, demand for the service from residents has rocketed, particularly from those living in smaller terraced properties, but the original 240 litre bin was just too big.

"So, we've listened to what everyone has had to say and created a specific box which will be perfect for these houses. 

"We're already seeing fantastic results from the new recycling service and for the first time, Liverpool is set to exceed the 20 per cent recycling target set for us by the government.  The 60,000 additional properties should improve our rate even more and set us on the road to become one of the greenest cities in the UK."

Government targets for 2008 state Liverpool should recycle 20 per cent of all waste collected, and it is predicted by the end of the financial year the city's residents will be recycling around 22 per cent.

The recycling team is currently trialling methods to improve collection systems to the majority of multi-occupancy properties which includes flats. 

 "We want every resident to have the best facilities available to recycle as much as they can and help us to exceed our targets.