The recycling bins have been rolled out and for the most part are an agreeable system, but for the food scrap bin and how the council has categorised us all. Rural people can compost but residential cannot - apparently if you are in a residential listing you're not allowed to take care of your food scraps by composting, worm farm or burying it in your veggie patch. Much to my dismay it's much better for the council to collect it and truck it to Hampton Downs to be composted. You have no option - they offer this service to all including those who have no need for it. My wife and I, just two of us, do not have a lot of food scraps and what little there is goes into the worm farm and bones or left-over meat goes to the dog or gets buried in the garden. It may be fine for some but not all, and should be an optional choice.

The council have become the mafia of our county. I wonder if their next move is to enter local business and offer an unwanted service - say protection from bullies for a modest weekly fee. Of course not, because that is extortion and it's a criminal act. So forcing me to have a food scrap bin when I do not need it and have no use for it and to still be charge for this service is extortion.

Richard Stewart, Te Puke.