Sir, – The new Waverley waste collection scheme is proving to be a lot worse than just unpopular and I am not surprised after looking up the details of many other schemes on Google. There seems to be two major differences. Many councils provide a single wheelie bin for all recyclable items that are sorted out after collection. This applies widely across the country and in Hampshire where 11 out of 13 councils follow this practice, including neighbouring Hart and Rushmoor. It particularly applies to the relatively few councils I could find using alternating collections. Our cumbersome system of finding space for three separate boxes, preferably under cover out of the rain, is rare. Putting out the paper and magazine box every two weeks is like struggling with a heavy suitcase from the days before suitcases had wheels. The flimsy lids provided for the paper boxes come in for specific criticism. A second difference from this internet sample is that councils have now widely recognised that garden waste has become a problem but the great majority collect it separately and free of charge. Out of some 20 councils whose schemes I looked at, I only found two that charged for garden waste. The arrogance of being told by Waverley to check your diary before eating roast chicken is bad enough but I was particularly angry about an item in the letter that I recently received from Waverley setting out the changes to the waste collection service. It includes a question and answer section that begins: "Why are the collections being changed from once a week to once a fortnight?" The answer given is: "Put simply they're not. Every household will still have a weekly collection service, one week for recycling and one week for the remaining household waste." This is a dishonest answer for the thousands of householders who participate in the existing recycling scheme. In a typical month I currently receive four weekly wheelie collections and four weekly paper, glass and tin collections. These eight collections will in future be reduced to four. Put simply, in answer to the question, my collections are very precisely being changed from weekly to fortnightly. Why do we have to put up with spin of this kind? Why should I be told "Put simply they're not" when put simply they are? Perhaps Peter Maudsley, director of environment and leisure, who signed the letter, or Victor Scrivens, the portfolio holder for this policy, could explain. John Littlewood, Greenhill Road, Farnham
