I WAS pleased to see the discussion on recycling in the Evening Press but would like to see City of York Council giving more consideration to reducing the amount of waste generated, such as a levy on excessive packaging as in Ireland and a requirement for takeaway outlets to be responsible for the waste they cause.

I feel that the bin and bag system for paper, glass etc is working well, and the council should be congratulated on finding a workable and unobtrusive system, unlike those authorities who have gone wheelie-bin mad.

However, I am concerned at the excessive size of the wheeled bins being provided, which is at odds with the council's desire to reduce waste.

Even allowing for the proposed fortnightly collection, capacity would still be increased - and this is without allowing for the separate collection of recyclable materials.

I would also like to put in a plea to consider alternatives to wheeled bins for garden waste, such as compost bins or the (recyclable) paper sacks used by other authorities, both of which accommodate the seasonal nature of garden waste.

Ann Petherick,

Scarcroft Hill,

York.

Updated: 11:30 Monday, May 23, 2005