A council in the Black Country is spending more than £120,000-a-year on encouraging people to recycle, the Express & Star can reveal today.

Sandwell Council spent twice as much as Wolverhampton Council on initiatives to promote its environmental message.

Among its projects were telling people to recycle nappies and compost at home. Julia Bridgett, waste disposal manager, said: “The Waste Strategy Team has control of a waste minimisation and education budget of £121,900 for the year 2009/10.

“This budget covers promotional and educational projects such as leaflets, advertising, nappy recycling, home composting and vehicle livery.”

Sandwell Council spent almost £28,000 in three years on school visits featuring a recycling rapping robot and green campaigner Eco Girl. Fiona McEvoy, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “When local authorities are being forced to make cuts we must question whether novelties like Eco Girl are truly effective.”

But Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: “Last year, Sandwell residents recycled almost 34,000 tonnes of materials. As a result, the council saved around £1.1 million in landfill tax costs in 2008/9 and a further £480,000 up to June 2009.”