PUPILS from a Lancaster primary school are among the first in the county to sign up to a new initiative that could see them turn cans into computers, textiles into trumpets, paper into printers and glass into guitars.

Youngsters at St Paul's primary in Scotforth have jumped in to back the recycling rewards for schools scheme launched by the Lancashire Waste Partnership.

It is offering prizes worth thousands of pounds to primary schools and their young pupils.

There is no skill or competition involved all they have to do is get their family, friends and neighbours to pledge to start recycling rubbish.

All primary schools signing up for the Defra-funded initiative, which runs from now until the end of March 2006, will share in a points reward scheme based on how much waste is diverted away from landfill each month.

The number of points awarded will relate to the number of pledges gathered by the schools.

And the points accrued can be exchanged for a wide range of equipment including TVs, projectors, cameras, computers and musical instruments.

As well as rewards for the school there are incentives for the children to take part, including green finger bands, vouchers to Camelot and Aquarium of the Lakes.

And for the pupil who collects the most pledges in each school, there's a new mini MP3 player.