TALKING rubbish has become one of the great British public’s favourite occupations.

Our pre-occupation with our dustbins and how often they’re emptied – or not – appears to be second only to our fascination with the weather.

And yesterday’s announcement that fortnightly bin collections will be allowed to continue has got us hot under the collar again.

In this area, only Purbeck council collects every two weeks with other local authorities sticking to weekly rounds.

But with environmental campaigners in favour of less frequent collections, why are we so determined to hang on to our weekly visit from the refuse collectors?

Angela Pooley, of East Dorset Friends of the Earth, said she would like to see all local authorities introduce fortnightly collections to encourage people to manage their waste carefully.

“There is absolutely no reason why it wouldn’t work if people were more careful about what they throw away,” she said. “There is far too much packaging and the amount of food we throw away is outrageous.”

She said separate collections could be introduced for food waste and added: “There have to be initiatives to encourage people to dispose of their waste carefully.”

Since coming to power, Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles had pledged to bring back weekly bin rounds.

His stance was backed by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, the pressure group which campaigns for a low-tax society. It argued that bin collection was one of the few council services used by everybody and that the retreat from weekly collections can be blamed on environmental taxes. But yesterday, following a review, the government fell short of banning fortnightly collections, announcing instead that councils will no longer be able to fine householders who overfill bins or put them out on the wrong day.

Yesterday the Daily Echo reported that Poole council is considering charging £31 a year for recycling garden waste, a service that is currently free.

These proposals too were backed by Ms Pooley who said those without gardens should not have to subsidise those who produce too much garden waste.

“They should have compost bins,” she added.

But many readers of the Echo website did not agree and voiced their anger about the plans.

Fossilmole from Wimborne said: “We already pay for bin collections – it’s called council tax and it’s massive already.”

Penhale from Bournemouth said: “Far from increasing the recycling rate it would increase the fly tipping rate then council tax would be raised again to clear up the mess the council causes by its stupid ideas.”

And B’mth56 added: “Back to the good old days of burning rubbish – smoke-filled gardens, debris flying around and washing on the line smelling of smoke.”