The possibility of burning tonnes of Oxfordshire's waste will be seen in many quarters as defeatist.

What we do with our rubbish will continue to be, dare we say it, a burning issue for years to come.

But by installing incinerators, would we be giving up too easily and accepting the easy way out?

The Government has set local authorities tough targets to control the amount being tipped into landfill sites.

The rising cost to council tax payers of dumping waste, £200 a tonne above the county's quota, means that other methods are urgently needed.

It is clear, for example, that much more could be done to recycle waste.

Some district councils are doing well with innovative recycling ideas. But others, such as Oxford City Council, are lagging well behind.

We should also be encouraging manufacturers to reduce the amount of packaging. Why does everything we buy have to be so heavily wrapped?

Judging by other parts of the country, any proposal to install an incinerator in Oxfordshire is certain to bring a hostile reaction from environmentalists as well as neighbours.

It would seem to reverse previous policies of promoting clean air.

The county council is right to start the debate, but we hope all options will be considered before we start the big burn-up.