SIR,

I am so pleased to see the Beacon finally printing a story about an issue which affects all of us directly: the collection of waste.

We have all seen coloured recycling bags compacted in the back of the dust cart on many occasions. Why spend hours carefully cleaning, separating metal, plastic, card etc. when it all gets cross contaminated under massive pressure in the wagons compactor? This cannot be denied as four to six tonnes of pressure will crush almost anything together.

The idea of collecting separate 'specific' recycled bags on different days allowing only certain material in the cart during that week is a simple solution, this could then tie in with delivery or collection to the main recycling plants, e.g. plastic one week, metal the next, garden waste the following and so on. The carts are cleaned and ready for the next material.

There are no extra costs or equipment required and the council will still get its target grants and actually do the job it is telling us it is doing.

As it is, we have half the collection we used to with no reduction in council tax and the tax payers do all the hard work by sorting out waste only to see it all thrown together and mixed up.

The bins in the town also require sorting as all the items of waste are thrown in together then put in with our recycled bags.

Just a thought, place several recycling marked bins together around the town and see if it works?

Just a few suggestions which could make life easier. For all other waste there is the local tip where the helpful chaps can guide you.

(Name and address supplied)