IN response to Mr Adams’ letter regarding Poole’s green waste collection service, I would like to point out that introducing a charge for collecting green waste from people’s kerbsides in Poole remains the fairest and most efficient system in light of budgetary restraints.

Importantly, those people who now have the service are those that truly want and use it. The service was originally funded by central government to help stop recyclable waste going to landfill but only one third of Poole’s residents had access to the service when the funding stopped.

By introducing a small charge ALL residents across the Borough now have equal access to the service if they want it. As a result of the changes we now recycle 1,600 more tonnes of green waste than before the charge was introduced.

This green waste would otherwise have ended up in landfill at a cost of £72 per tonne to local taxpayers in Landfill Tax.

I would remind Mr Adams that his suggestion of collecting it all under the current rating system would be grossly unfair to people who have no gardens yet would be subsidising the service for people who do and who may be better able to pay for it.

Poole’s chargeable system means all residents across Poole have equal access to the scheme and only those wanting the service pay.

Households who have not chosen to register for the service have many different reasons; including that they have no or very small gardens, prefer to drop their waste off to the Recycling Centre themselves, or home compost.

We would not penalise people for putting occasional and small amounts of green waste in black bins if they have no easy alternative.

COUNCILLOR XENA DION, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Consumer Protection, Local Economy and Transportation at Poole council