I AM sorry to hear that you are not happy with the current service that you are receiving. recycling is vital for future generations not just because we are running out of landfill space but also because of our high use of raw materials.

Before the scheme started in September 2003 a survey was sent to every household by an independent company asking if they would prefer a weekly refuse collection using a smaller wheelie bin or a fortnightly service using the same size bin.

The majority of responses indicated the current system.

Prior to this we were recycling just eight per cent of our rubbish whereas today we are nearing the 30 per cent mark.

You are right when you say part of this is down to European fines. As a council, if we do not meet our targets we will be subject to high fines which could result in a rise in council tax.

Added to this we pay a landfill tax for every tonne of rubbish landfilled and this is set to nearly triple in the next few years. We needed to do something to reduce rubbish and recycle more or pay the high price to continue landfilling.

You mention Dudley Council in your email. In 2004/2005 they recycled 8.61 per cent of their rubbish and composted 6.86 per cent.

If this doesn't improve this year they will not reach their target of 18 per cent.

Studies from other councils show that if you provide the same wheelie bin collection, only around 20-30 per cent of the population will take part in the recycling scheme.

With regards to your comments about the capacity of your wheelie bin, I note that you already have a larger bin. This is the maximum capacity provided to anyone within the district except in extreme circumstances.

That said, if you would like myself and the refuse manager to visit your property and look through your rubbish to advise if you could recycle more then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Before we started the scheme we sought views from environmental health officers who said there is no health hazard from collecting rubbish fortnightly.

We do advise residents to ensure all rubbish is bagged and the lids of bins are kept closed.

We are currently working on campaigns to help people minimise their rubbish including selling cut-priced compost bins and operating mornings to advise parents about switching to cloth nappies.

BECKY ROBINSON

Waste Minimisation Officer

Wyre Forest District Council