A £2 million machine that converts recycled waste into electricity and compost is being damaged by people sending the wrong items to go in it.

South Shropshire District Council collects food waste and garden waste to put in its biodigester, at Ludlow Business Park.

However, the machine is continually being clogged because some residents put plastic in collection bins.

Today officials from South Shropshire District Council issued an urgent plea to people to put the right combination of food waste and garden refuse into their collection bins.

Councillor Mrs Susan McCormack, lead member for environmental policy, said a small number of residents were continuing to put plastics into their green wheelie bins and this regrettably caused problems at the biodigester.

The processing plant, at Ludlow Business Park, turns garden waste, food waste, and cardboard into compost and liquid feed for agricultural purposes and also produces green electricity from gases created by processing food waste.

The plant had not been designed to process plastic, so plastic bags and bottles contaminate the compost and slow down the operation.

The biodigester thrives on all sorts of food waste including, raw food, cooked food, meat, bones, fish, dairy produce, fruit and vegetables. All of these items are accepted in the green bins, but plastic is not acceptable.