Sir - Kate Lack, (Letters, December 8), seems to think that those against this scheme are either ignorant of the need to recycle, anti-recycling, or perhaps too lazy, which is obviously not the case.

Since moving to Oxford I have recycled from day one. Now the scheme has started, the council has in addition permitted us to recycle plastic bottles (no other plastics), wrapping paper and envelopes. (Osney were already in the green bag scheme for garden waste and cardboard.) Most of us here do not have front gardens or rear access to the house.

As the houses are unsuitable for wheelie-bins, the council have issued lilac bags which of course can be ripped open by foxes and vermin just like the black bags she mentions.

This was not a problem with a weekly collection, but now after two weeks of storage, in temperatures such as July this year, the smell from the bags are bound to attract vermin and of course they all have to be transported through the house.

Even those residents with rear/side access to their houses cannot be enamoured at storing perishable waste for two weeks. My garden now has to accommodate the blue box, green bag, two green boxes (one is not enough for two weeks) plus a wheelie bin to prevent vermin, flies and squirrels attacking the lilac bags.

More paper and plastic will go into landfill as it is now being used to double wrap food for two weeks storage.

I would rather the council let me recycle my plastic bottles at the supermarket, as I used to, and return to a weekly collection of perishable waste.

I am sorry Ms Lack, but I do not think I have much to thank the council for on this matter.

Eric Murray, Osney Island