IN response to T M Harris (Your Letters, December 23) permit me, please, to explain the situation your correspondent describes from the council's viewpoint.

As part of our commitment to encourage waste minimisation (i.e. reducing the amount of rubbish per household going to landfill), the council now provides each household with just one black bag per week.

That said, it is fair to point out that more bags are now supplied per household per year in total than ever before when account is taken of the provision of clear and purple recycling sacks as well. While recognising that one black sack per week may not suit every household, our research shows that it is proving sufficient for most of our residents these days because of our investment in recycling.

To provide additional black sacks would be a significant extra burden on the council tax (the present cost of the district's supply is some £50,000 per year and the figure has been rising steadily with the price of oil and plastic). Moreover, to do so could give a mixed message in relation to our commitment to waste minimisation.

It would also be cost-inefficient because we would be 'over-providing' for many households. Better, we think, that those whose residual refuse exceeds one bag per week should purchase their own further supplies of sacks. As long as they are black the council will collect them from the kerbside in the normal way.

By much the same rationale, we are encouraging recycling by providing clear and purple sacks in abundance. However, we will always welcome back any such sacks that are surplus to requirements so they can be reallocated to keep overall costs and council tax to a minimum.

Finally, it is pleasing to note Malvern Hills' year-on-year decrease in the amount of residual waste per head going to landfill and the fact that residents are now achieving an impressive (by national standards) recycling rate of around 25 per cent. The council will continue to give priority to waste minimisation and recycling and, with your support, our aim is to break our record performance again in 2006.

Coun John Raine (portfolio-holder for recycling, Malvern Hills District Council), Brockhill Road, West Malvern.