I BROADLY support any moves to reduce the amount of wastes going into landfill and increase materials reused and recycled, and believe the proposed green wheelie bin scheme will have a positive effect on York's recycling rate.

But there are problems. People feel they've been inadequately consulted, and are worried about overflowing rubbish bins, smelly bins, roots and seeds contaminating the garden materials compost, whether they have to have a second bin, and more.

Rubbish bins will only overflow if residents aren't using their kerbside box properly, or have such unsustainable consumer-culture lifestyles that they create more waste than they should.

Rubbish bins will only pong if putrescible materials are put in - such as vegetable peelings and plate scrapings, all of which can be composted in the garden or with an indoor wormery.

Council compost won't have visible roots and seeds in it because when it's made it heats up enough to kill them all.

The council has made a mistake by only stating garden materials in the new bin, as it could also take fruit and veg kitchen scraps. It's also a mistake to concentrate on collections, as a far more ecologically sound solution is to put all these materials in your home compost heap. This will rot cooked food, oils, dairy, meat, rubber, cardboard and newspaper. I compost all these and have a compost toilet. So I won't need a second bin because I have home-composting.

John Cossham,

Garden House,

Hull Road, York.

Updated: 10:56 Monday, June 13, 2005