DOORSTEP recycling appears to be becoming something of a head-spinning experience.

A couple of weeks ago, as part of national Recycle Week, those behind Hambleton District Council’s drive to reduce rubbish being sent to landfill appealed for residents to “take a fresh look at our recycling habits to see if there are any opportunities to recycle even more items”.

The authority urged residents to consider recycling “unusual suspects”, such as perfume bottles – presumably not simply to make the bins smell sweetly.

The council’s recycling chief, Councillor Stephen Watson issued a rallying cry, stating: “There are lots of things that can be recycled, but aren’t always being put in the boxes and bins...”

This week, the same council has issued another press release titled “Think twice about ‘extra’ recycling”, after the amount of recycling soared and contractors were forced to remove items ranging from duvets to toilet seats from the blue-lid wheelie bins.

Cue Cllr Watson to make another statement. He said: “Our emphasis must be on quality as well as quantity. We urge householders to think twice about what they put in the bins and keep the quality high, and if in doubt check.”

With a population greater than New Zealand, Yorkshire has its own flag, food, costume and anthem. In a further step, the publishers of the Dalesman magazine have produced a Yorkshire Passport for bornand-bred Yorkshiremen and women and offcumdens alike.

The document features a Yorkshire citizenship test, lessons on learning to talk Tyke and advice on making Yorkshire puddings and how to make a grand cup of Yorkshire.

While Alistair Brownlee’s waving of the Yorkshire flag as he won Olympic triathlon gold went down well with those watching, Spectator wonders if the passport is taking pride in the county a step too far.