I would not want readers to be misled by a Green Party councillor writing in the Evening Press on January 3 regarding recycling collections.

In fact City of York Council's recycling service will collect additional bags of paper left in addition to the blue sack.

If residents have lost their usual blue sack, or their green box, they can phone 551551 for a replacement.

However, where the material is not simply paper, but laminated with foil or coated with plastic, it would contaminate the rest of the paper in the recycling load and so we cannot take it.

I appreciate that this can cause some frustration. I am working with other councils to campaign for legislation to prevent companies from producing packaging that is a mixture of materials which cannot be returned, composted or easily recycled.

I would like to thank residents for keeping up the green box and blue bag recycling levels.

The city is collecting 50 tonnes per week more of those recyclables, representing a 30 per cent increase since before the new system was introduced in the autumn.

Coun Andrew Waller,

Executive Member for Environment and Sustainability,

Askham Lane,

Acomb, York

Updated: 09:10 Friday, January 06, 2006