CITY of York Council has ordered 60,000 green wheelie bins for garden waste at a cost of £1 million.

This, despite the very seasonal nature of garden waste which tenders a bin redundant for nine months of the year; despite the bins not being useable for kitchen waste (which is generated all year round); despite much of York consisting of terraced house with no gardens; and despite there being far more appropriate solutions already successfully adopted by other authorities.

On January 28, the Evening Press published my letter in which I urged the council to investigate alternative solutions, such as compost bins and bio-degradable sacks.

Coun Andrew Waller has admitted that this was not done. However, it appears that residents of Clifton and Poppleton do have the option of the sacks but how many know about them - and why not in other areas?

Each wheelie bin costs the council £18, where a compost retails at less than £12.

Why spend 50 per cent more to achieve a less environmentally-friendly solution and clutter the city with more ugly bins?

Coun Waller has now agreed to investigate making compost bins free and it is up to us to make sure this is done.

Households are not going to be asked if they would like another wheelie bin - bins are simply going to be delivered from October.

I suggest we make our feelings known by ringing York Pride (551551) to say we don't want one, by ringing to ask for it to be taken away once it's arrived and for those with appropriate vehicles to take the bins and leave them on the doorstep of the council's offices.

Anyone who travels around this council will be aware of the desecration caused by multiple bins on pavements and in front gardens.

Ann Petherick,

Scarcroft Hill, York.

Updated: 09:00 Tuesday, July 12, 2005