The town of Cambridgeshire in the U.K. has reported astounding savings from its new recycling initiative that will go a long way to improving public life in the town. According to the BBC, in six months the town has saved more than £300,000, and has done so by using a blue bin recycling method with another smaller black bin for paper.

While single-stream recycling is still gaining traction in the United States, the South Cambridgeshire District Council gave its residents one extra step to ensure that they would be getting the most out of the recycling project.

"Our blue bins are unique in the county because they have the black caddy which keeps all the paper separate and clean," Councillor Sue Ellington told the news source. "Clean paper is a much more valuable commodity than dirty paper. We can sell it for £100 per ton and that's quite a big feedback on recyclables."

Instead of leaving the sorting up to the professionals, the town expects its residents to practice a bit more social responsibility for the benefit of the community. The money raised from this recycling project will go to fund infrastructure, public schools and other municipal areas that will improve the lives of those in Cambridgeshire.

Homeowners can take a hint from these residents by keeping their paper separate from the rest of their recyclables. By being able to recycle clean paper, your community will get a far larger return on its recycling investment and it will make the process much easier on trash collectors. A little extra effort can go a long way in creating a greener and more sustainable environment for everyone in your area.