BUGGED' blue bins have put recycling high on the agenda again.

Councillor Wayne Campbell complains of not having received one letter about the bugging, but an overwhelming response from those who ask when they will receive their blue bins.

This answers the question, does it not? Why do we need bugs when there is overwhelming evidence that the people of Bury are aware of the dangers of landfill and are working hard to make recycling work?

Coun Campbell is not the first to be aware of the problems of landfill. Five years ago, after speaking to my councillors, I wrote to the Bury Times that the sun was rising minutes later than it should be over the Goshen estate because of the mountain of rubbish on the landfill site on the other side of the River Roch. That tip has finally been closed.

But, after 10 years, we still don't have a well thought out, comprehensive, recycling programme. Some supermarkets are doing their best . . . Sainsbury's are using compostable packagaing. Tesco are giving green points for recycling carrier bags. While central government and the local council are wasting time and money going after headlines and gimmicks (like the bugs), individuals are way ahead of the council. Many compost their own garbage.

All right, so what would a well thought out, comprehensive programme involve? A guide, telling us exactly what to recycle and where to put it. This would include a detailed list of items from packaging, to fridges, to metal items, to cardboard, car parts, broken electronic bits, to cars.

There are firms which repair or recycle such items. But with the lack of precise information, much of this goes in the grey bins. The EU, as I remember, is requiring manufacturers to recover and recycle appliances, so there must be local recycling depots.

A lady in a cafe engaged me in conversation about recycling. A relative has been taking her cardboard to Tesco. At one time we were told to put cardboard with our newspapers. Now the green bag says no cardboard.

Mark Sanders (Bury Council chief executive) says that he plans to recycle cardboard. When are we going to be told by the council? What do we do with it? I recently filled my grey bin with cardboard; should I have put it with my green material?

The slogan on the blue bin says: "If in doubt, throw it out'. We shouldn't be in doubt. The slogan on the blue bin should read, if in doubt, put it in.

The guide I suggested earlier should include all items and the aim should be for 100 per cent recycling.

Perhaps there are answers to the above points; perhaps some of it is in place.

The point is, let us know what you expect of us and we will respond.

We have and we will. We don't need bugging!

BILL BRISON Scott Avenue Bury