I WOULD like to answer questions posed by readers about why City of York Council can't collect kitchen waste from the green, wheeled bins for garden waste.

Government legislation prevents us from collecting and composting kitchen waste because of restrictions in place to prevent an outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

The composting system used by the council involves long, pyramid-shaped stacks of waste being left on concrete slabs to rot in the open air. Fruit and vegetable peelings are likely to have come into contact with meat products in the kitchen and there is a chance that meat could be contaminated with foot and mouth.

Therefore, these materials cannot be composted in the open air where they could be spread by the wind, or by birds and animals.

Although the risk of spreading foot and mouth disease in this way may seem small, Government legislation requires every possible precautionary measure to be in place. Given the devastating impact of the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak on rural communities, it is imperative that the council closely follows Government guidance on this issue.

It is also worth reminding readers that the operational hours of the York Pride Action Line on 551551 have been extended to ensure that callers with queries about the garden waste collections can get through quickly. Lines are open between 8.30am and 7pm.

Also, we are aiming to start collecting plastic bottles on the kerbside collections from next spring and residents will be notified of the details nearer the time.

However, there are new plastic recycling banks at B&Q on Hull Road, Tesco at Tadcaster Road and at Clifton Moor, Sainsbury's at Monks Cross and Beckfield Lane and Towthorpe Household Waste Recycling Centres.

Sara Goodhead,

Waste development assistant,

City of York Council,

St Leonard's Place, York.

Updated: 10:25 Wednesday, October 12, 2005