KRISTY Walton's letter will no doubt continue to fuel the debate about refuse collections in York (September 3).

Our council continues to hide behind legislation which clearly does not intend to create the mayhem likely to ensue with their planned bins emptying strategy.

"Doing nothing is not an option" - fair enough but doing something completely stupid isn't either!

We all can make some contribution to cutting waste but we have to be realistic about it.

Manufacturers of consumer goods and food along with supermarkets need to help us by reducing unnecessary packaging at source - that's clearly were some of the problem starts.

How many extra journeys are going to be made by residents wanting to dispose of waste that will not fit into the bins? Is our city going to suffer from dumped waste on roadsides by residents who do not have transport available to move excess rubbish?

Why start garden waste collections just as we approach autumn and winter when waste in this area is much less for several months?

York council's approach is clearly flawed and very naive. They really do need a to take a reality check.

In other parts of the UK and Europe there is a general acceptance that normal household waste has to be collected weekly, primarily to keep neighbourhoods free from vermin and maintain reasonable standards of hygiene.

Segregation of various types of waste, cardboard, paper and glass is common with the frequency of collections for these items varying from council to council and country to country. Most people can and would accept the principal of segregation.

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to hanging on to the remains of the turkey for two weeks at Christmas time - ugh! Or maybe I might just deliver them to York Pride.

Kevin Herbert,

Springfield Road,

Upper Poppleton,

York.

Updated: 10:04 Tuesday, September 06, 2005