I WROTE recently (ViewPoints, October 22) regarding the blue bin waste scheme that was coming into operation in Oxford and asked if all the bins and boxes were going to be recalled and recycled to get some money back, after all the thousands of pounds had been wasted.

Why do we need extra bins at all, when we have already some?

I was pleased to read Mr Peter Collett’s letter (November 8) referring to the question of recycling, where he stated that the green bin could have been used for all recycling waste.

I had thought of that some time back, bearing in mind not everyone has room to store these bins, but then that idea would have been thrown out, because it would have saved money and not spent it.

Just because other councils have blue bins doesn’t mean we in Oxford have to follow.

And with Mr Tanner running the show, I would have thought the bins would have been red in colour.

When I worked for Oxford City Council many years ago, the cleansing department was run by a superintendent and inspectors and it was a much cleaner city then.

Every area had a sweep once a week and the sweepers then followed the refuse vehicle the same day or next day.

You reported not so long ago (Oxford Mail, August 9) that Cowley Road was a “street of shame”.

The next day, in the city centre, I saw a vehicle scrubbing Cornmarket Street.

Two weeks later you said Oxford was the cleanest city in the country. What a transformation in such a short time.

Don’t be fooled readers, that survey was done over a couple of streets within the city centre and was not a true reflection of Oxford as a whole. The city centre is cleaned twice a day and litter bins emptied also the same.

What about the other areas of Oxford, which at this time of the year are full of leaves and drains are blocked?

If Mr Tanner is as green as he thinks he is, why doesn’t he change ranks and go over to the Green Party. Somehow, I don’t think they would welcome him with open arms.

When it comes around to voting for your councillors to represent you, give a thought to how your council tax money will be spent in future by some who have wasted it in the past.

COLIN SMITH, (former shop steward, cleansing department), George Moore Close, Donnington, Oxford