Madam, - My household is one of those currently not using an authorised waste collection service. Like many people we know, we made a conscientious decision not to do so.
We bought a compost bin which we use daily. We refused the council's pay-by-weight bin last year and instead opted to use the old one. When the bag in this bin is ready we take it ourselves to the civic amenity centre at Raffeen and pay our €8. We are not burning rubbish in our back yard and we are not disposing of it on the highways and byways. We have been asked to be responsible for the waste that we create in our homes and this we are.
It now seems we are going to be picked on by the junior Minister for the Environment who has said he is going to target the one in four households that are not using an authorised waste collection service. Are we now to be penalised for rethinking, reducing, recycling and composting our waste? I am in a position to do this, unlike many of my elderly neighbours who do not enjoy the luxury of private transport.
Would the Minister be better employed rolling out the brown bins and giving us the kerbside collection service householders have been asking for? - Yours, etc,
AUDREY HOGAN, Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.