When is a green bag not 100 per cent compostable?

5:30pm Thursday 9th August 2007

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Having endured the change-over to fortnightly collections, my wife and I have done everything we can to co-operate with the recycling policy of the council.

Last week, our green bin was not emptied and, after three calls to the refuse department, I was told that my bin was contaminated because we had used the wrong type of bag for food waste.

The bags we have been using for the past three years are the 100 per cent compostable bags from Tesco, and up to last week our bin was emptied and we presumed these bags were acceptable.

When we contacted the customer dis-service' department, a very unhelpful person insisted we used the council's 100 per cent compostable bag, which was only obtainable from council premises, and refused to empty our green bin which contained mainly garden waste because she alleged it was contaminated.

As we had not used its bags, it was not interested. What is the difference between the Tesco 100 per cent compostable bag and the council's? Nobody could tell me.

Owing to the health risk and smell, I decided to pay a contractor to empty it, and it ended up on council premises (contaminated or not).

However, I would comment that no warning was left on my bin about the green bags we were using or a letter sent to me. It was just left in the street.

The council should have emptied the bin and left a note.

I am sick and tired of these self important gauliters who give poor service. We, as voters, should take appropriate action at the ballot box and withold tax payment until the council changes its ridiculous bin policy.

Anthony Spencer, Juniper Gardens, Shenley