EVERY household in Britain throws away about one ton of rubbish each year. That adds up to 20 million tons that we have to bury or burn annually. It is a scandalous waste that threatens our future.

Landfill sites and incinerators are not sustainable solutions. They come at a heavy environmental and health price. Landfill produces methane, a major greenhouse gas, and can pollute the water courses. A debate is raging today as to the health risk of incinerators, but there is no doubt about the pollution they produce.

Faced with the vast problem of waste disposal, it is easy for individuals to pretend that their actions will make no difference. But the only way to reduce that mountain of rubbish is for each and every one of us to cut back on what we throw away.

Recycling is nothing new. Bottle banks first appeared in 1977. Paper, cardboard and clothing banks followed. Some environmentally-aware citizens have been taking their rubbish to recycling points for years.

Unfortunately, many of us are not so diligent. A trip to the paper and bottle bank takes too much effort, and the rubbish goes in the bin.

That is why the City of York Council doorstep recycling project is so effective. Just like that early pioneer of door-to-door recycling, the rag and bone man, this scheme makes it easy on the householder.

All they have to do is rinse bottles and cans, put them in a box and leave them with a bag of papers and magazines for collection every week. It has proved very successful in Holgate, Huntington and around North Yorkshire.

The expansion of this scheme across the city would help the city council to reach its target of doubling recycling levels by 2004. That would see York recycling 12 per cent of its rubbish. More will need to be done.

But today the council demonstrated its commitment to cutting waste. It is a commitment we should all strive to match.

Updated: 10:36 Wednesday, June 20, 2001