THE Urdd National Eisteddfod is going green.

The youth festival, which is being held in Carmarthenshire between Monday, May 28 and Saturday, June 2, will be the most environmentally-friendly yet.

Carmarthenshire County Council is pulling out all the stops for an eco-Urdd.

More than 100,000 visitors and 15,000 competitors are expected at the United Counties Showground - and there will be no excuse for dropping rubbish.

Recycling bins for paper, cardboard, plastic and cans will be provided by the council at several recycling stations around the maes.

The council is working with Cylch, the Wales Community Recycling Network, and volunteers from secondary schools will be acting as recycling ambassadors on the maes, informing visitors where to put their rubbish.

There will also be recycling bins at the camping site and the council will provide facilities for traders attending the week-long event to recycle their waste.

There will be various activities to promote waste awareness at the Carmarthenshire County Council marquee throughout the week.

Workshops on rubbish and composting will be held and there will be live entertainment from the singing and dancing Brodyr Gregory.

Eco Eli, the council's eco-friendly mascot, will also be making an appearance along with road safety mascot Gari Gosafe and healthy schools meals mascot Dylan the Dragon.

And the fun doesn't stop there - interactive games, demonstrations and goodie bags will be up for grabs.

The aim is to encourage people to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

A massive education and awareness campaign is underway through the Mean or Green campaign to help make recycling and composting second nature, which includes teaching school children about the issues from an early age.

Environment executive board member Councillor Pam Palmer said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Urdd to promote recycling at this year's Eisteddfod.

"A lot of people think that what they do as individuals doesn't have any effect. But the truth is every teabag composted or newspaper recycled makes a difference.

"Carmarthenshire County Council is committed to improving the environment and making it a better place to live, work and visit for everyone."

Siân Eirian, director of the Urdd Eisteddfod, said: "We take the environment very seriously at the Urdd. It's something our members care passionately about and as a result we're pulling out all the stops to ensure that we do everything we can to ensure this year's Eisteddfod is greener than ever.

"We're very grateful to Carmarthenshire County Council for taking a lead with us on this issue. We'll be monitoring this year's activities closely and we hope to build on them for the future."