Torfaen Council is aiming to retain its crown as the best recycling authority in South Wales next year by introducing new schemes to boost rates further.
The local authority is now recycling 45 per cent of waste which is already five per cent more than the Welsh Assembly's 2009-10 target.
This year has been declared a success with a further rollout of the successful Twin Bin scheme to 7,000 homes in areas like Blaenavon and Abersychan.
Three heroic Torfaen residents have also been transformed into cartoon characters to promote recycling.
Bryan McDowell, 74, of Cwmbran; Chantel Daniels, 44, of Pontypool, and Callum Lewis, 8, of Blaenavon, have joined forces with mascot Dan Can to become Torfaen Council recycling super heroes.
The trio are now using their powers of persuasion to spread the word about recycling and take part in promotional events.
Recycling mascot Dan Can the Super Recycler won four awards - two UK and two Welsh- from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and his tweets on Twitter are being followed by more than 250 people including former Terminator star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Plans for 2009 include looking at ways of linking cardboard recycling with the Twin Bin scheme and putting in a bid for funding for a new household waste recycling centre in the north of the county borough.
Currently, residents take their cardboard to recycling banks in the County Borough.
Councillor John Cunningham, Executive Member for Operational Services, said he expected recycling figures to continue their upward trend.
"Thanks to residents' efforts, we are performing extremely well and I'm confident our recycling figures can continue to improve next year," he said.
"I hope residents will continue to embrace recycling and help protect the environment for future generations."
Newspapers and magazines, glass bottles and jars, plastic bottles, aerosols, tins and cans and textiles can be recycled in residents' black boxes.