Our doorstep recycling regime has changed thanks to the local council’s efficiency savings. Now we get collections every fortnight.

On the first week of this new system, I received a note telling me a whole orange bin had not been taken as the bin was ‘broken or dangerous’ and it contained dirty tissues.

In fact the bin lid was not even there (they have a habit of blowing away or disappearing) and the three tissues had been used to clean up minor spillages around the home, not for any other purpose. A little annoyed, I called up to discuss the situation and was told that even if there is one ‘incorrect’ item in the bin, they won’t take the lot.

When I asked about a new bin, I was enthusiastically told I could get one free of charge if I was prepared to collect it.

Fine, I said, and there’s a collection point fairly close to home.

“There’s a problem though, as we don’t have any.”

What? When everyone has known for weeks that this reduction in service is taking place?

For the time being until there’s a new delivery, I was told I could put my recycled cardboard and paper into a plastic bag in the same way as plastic bottles and it would be collected.

I asked how then would the collectors know if there were any dirty tissues in the bags?

Stunned silence followed...

If you’d like to share your views or make a comment, please feel free. I can be contacted via any of the above routes or you can write to me at Gazette & Herald, 100 Victoria Road, Old Town, Swindon, SN1 3BE.

Fiona Scott