Wheelie-bin washer Shaun Moon claims his business will be hammered under the council's new fortnightly waste collections.

The 35-year-old, from Tang Hall, York, cleans more than 1,000 bins each month, but says the number will be cut by a quarter when the operation is introduced.

From next month, City of York Council plans to collect ordinary household rubbish every fortnight, with collections of green garden waste every other week.

Our Bin It! campaign calls for the retention of the weekly collection for 60,000 York households while, at the same time, backing efforts to boost recycling and changing the way we deal with waste.

Mr Moon, who uses a mobile jet wash to clean the bins, said he had canvassed hundreds of his current customers and only seven expressed an interest in having their green bins cleaned.

"I'm going to lose about £500 a month when this comes in," he said. "I can't clean the grey bins when they're full of rubbish.

"The council's new scheme is all about money and nothing to do with recycling. If bins are not emptied for two weeks flies will hatch and spread disease."

A City of York Council spokesperson said: "Whilst we do, of course, sympathise with Mr Moon, the council can't be held responsible for the viability of his business.

"It was Mr Moon's personal choice to set up a business that sought to capitalise on the existing waste collection service, but all business has to adapt to change, in the same way that the council has to adapt to changes in legislation and policy.

"More than 100 local authorities across the country have already introduced similar collections to those that will be operating in York from early October, so the concept is not a new one.

"As a businessman working in this field, Mr Moon would surely have been aware of the way councils are responding to changes in legislation and foreseen the potential impact upon his business."

Updated: 10:30 Saturday, September 24, 2005