I SEE that we may (and probably will) end up paying extra to have our garden waste picked up (see story on page 3). This ‘free’ service is one of the few things West Devon Borough Council has done right when it comes to waste.

Whilst I compost as much as I can, large woody things such as branches cannot be composted except in an industrial sized heap as not enough heat is generated in a garden compost heap.

What, I wonder, does the council do with the compost it makes— many councils sell it to allotment associations and gardeners but I have never seen this advertised by our council — is it missing a trick here?

I will probably go back to burning it as I did before, that will help keep the atmosphere warm!

Whilst on the subject of waste, I am probably not the only one who has to wash and disinfect the rubbish bins during the summer —as maggots end up at the bottom — since getting emptied every two weeks, despite no food waste going in and everything being in sacks before going in the bin. We never had this with weekly collections.

In its never ending quest to save / charge us more, the council should remember the size of the tax bill it already make us pay, not increase it further. It’s no wonder people feel they are being seen off.