DESPITE the criticisms City of York Council has received over fortnightly grey bin collections recently, I am delighted it now plans to collect plastic and cardboard for recycling purposes.

It is unlikely there will now be much left in our grey bin, given that my household already recycles many other waste items and composts green and kitchen waste.

Only the soiled disposable nappies that my two toddlers have filled might remain. "Use reusable nappies!" I hear the eco-warriors cry - but they haven't taken into account the energy costs and chemicals involved in their laundering, not to mention the prospect of persuading the wife to use them!

Why not have (yet!) another collection service that takes them to a power station for incineration and subsequent power generation? One near Cambridge already runs on waste straw.

Given that nappies are produced from sustainable wood and cotton sources, and minimal plastic, then they could be included as an excellent source of renewable bio-fuel, particularly given their contents!

Robin Rawson,

Dodsworth Avenue,

Heworth,

York.

Updated: 09:20 Wednesday, October 05, 2005