Pupils at Breage School are busy collecting as many used biscuit wrappers as they can and are now appealing for help to boost their chances of winning the national Wrappers to Riches recycling contest.

The youngsters have their eyes on the prize and hope to secure money for the school's parents and friends association at the same time as doing their bit to help the environment.

A combined £500 in charity prize donations will be awarded to the top 20 collectors across the country, so to help improve their collections and chances of being a winner the school is calling for the support of people in the Helston area.

The contest, which runs until May 31, is part of a recycling fundraising scheme set up by McVitie's and recycling experts TerraCycle called the McVitie's Biscuit Wrapper Brigade. The scheme aims to reduce the billions of wrappers being sent to UK landfill as a result of most local councils being unable to recycle the mixed plastic packaging biscuit wrappers are comprised of.

As well as working towards becoming the 2015 Wrappers to Riches winners, the fundraisers can earn four TerraCycle points (normally two) for the weight of each biscuit wrapper of any brand they send in for recycling during the contest. Each point can be redeemed for a one pence contribution for the school, charity or non-profit organisation of the sender's choice.

Jenny Brooks, from Breage School, said: “We joined TerraCycle in 2010 and so far we have saved almost one and a half thousand biscuit wrappers from landfill. We also collect on the Febreze Air and Home Care Brigade and the BIC Writing Instruments Brigade and to date have raised nearly £100 on TerraCycle's recycling fundraising schemes which will be donated to the School's Parents' Association “We are asking the wider community of Helston to support us by saving their biscuit wrappers of any brand for us to help boost our chances of becoming a 2015 Wrappers to Riches collection contest winner.”

Wrappers can be dropped into the school's collection box in reception between 9am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday, term time only.