MORE than 7,000 people signed up to an Evening Press petition protesting at the changes.

But, following a three-month hiatus, council chiefs have announced that the controversial twin bin system will return to York's streets from March 6.

The alternate-weekly waste collections, which sees household waste collected one week and green garden waste the next, has been suspended through the winter months.

Coun Andrew Waller, City of York Council's environment chief, said the scheme - which applies to 60,000 homes - had saved the council nearly £500,000 in landfill tax and Government fines since it was introduced in October.

He said: "Since October the new system has saved £482,500 in landfill tax and other Government fines, (almost the same as one per cent on council tax bills). This derives from 2266 tonnes of garden waste, and 1860 tonnes of cans, bottles and paper."

He said once the winter system, with weekly collections, resumed there was an increase in the total of waste going to landfill.

Critics of the scheme fear the summer months, with household rubbish lying around for up to a fortnight, could lead to surge in vermin.

Late last year council chief executive David Atkinson admitted the scheme had made the authority unpopular in the short term, but said the introduction of fortnightly rubbish collections would bring long-term benefits by leading a fundamental shift in public habits and opinions.

Thousands of residents have supported our Bin It! campaign since its launch.

Bin It! agued for the retention of weekly household waste collections, while promoting alternative recycling initiatives.

So have the controversial collection changes worked?

Yes...

Councillor Andrew Waller is the council's environment boss, and is the architect of the authority's twin bin system.

He said: "York has already demonstrated that it can rise to the challenge, because people do want to recycle more waste.

"This time we will be bringing in plastic bottle recycling from the restart in March, and phasing in cardboard over the months following. I shall continue to ask officers to look for markets for mixed plastic, and other materials.

"While it is a small comfort that the weekly landfill figure has not gone back to the high levels before October, the increased tonnage, if repeated across a full financial year, would raise costs to council tax payers. If there were 200 tonnes per week extra going to landfill, then across a year this would represent an extra £1.5 million landfill fines on council tax charges if the alternate weekly system was not re-introduced."

No...

Julie Maycock, of Jacobi Close, Clifton, who was one of the first to sign the petition, said neighbours were not looking forward to the reintroduction of the twin bin system.

"Everyone's bins are piling high, and it's the weekly collections at the moment," she said. "I think the summer is going to be the problem. It will be hot and horrible.

"People still ask me what we can do about it.

"It is not so much for me, but more for people with bigger houses and families. I have not been fighting for myself as much as them.

"People I have spoken to are not looking forward to it coming back.

"I have been saving my plastic bottles and taking them to supermarkets.

"There is some trepidation around here about it at the moment."