We all know that recycling is good for the planet and we ought to do more of it, but one young mum has discovered there can be many more benefits.

Rebecca Ruler had a difficult pregnancy with her daughter Lily back in 2014 and was very grateful for the support of the Kicks Count charity that offers advice to new mums.

Afterwards, she decided to repay the charity by helping them to raise cash.

She began by collecting used postage stamps with a friend - and in her first year she collected 90kg.

Inspired by her success she began collecting other items that could be recycled.

She said: "There is a company called Terra Cycle that will take crisp packets, bread bags, confectionary wrappers and many types of plastic that you usually can't recycle - they wash it and turn it into things like playground surfaces and garden furniture."

The firm makes a payment to the charity of the collector's choice.

Since the beginning of the year, Mrs Ruler has already raised £3,300 from plastic recycling and £1,600 from stamp collecting which has all been given to Kicks Count.

She said: "It's just taken off. I now have a whole network of people who collect for me and bring me their rubbish."

She stores it at her home in Queens Avenue, Snodland, which has become something of a recycling hub, until she has sufficient to package up, then Terra Cycle send a courier to collect it.

As well as having friends and relatives and her daughter's nursery school, St Katherine's, collecting on her behalf, she has developed a Facebook community of supporters who now regularly drop off their plastic at her home.

She said: "It's constantly growing. So many people want to recycle their waste."

But aside from helping the planet and raising cash for a good cause, Mrs Ruler said she has found personal benefits from her campaign.

She said: "I suffer from a chronic back pain condition.

"Having this project has helped me take my mind off it and given me something positive to do."

For information on the recycling campaign, visit https://tinyurl.com/rebplastic

For information on stamp collecting, visit https://tinyurl.com/Rebstamp