Congratulations must go to Oxford City Council for its latest recycling initiatives.

It's no mean feat to have launched this new fortnightly refuse collection cycle.

It will eventually bed in as people now appear determined to change their habits for the benefit of the environment, particularly if this can be done without too much additional cost.

Part of that cost containment for the council must be to optimise the number of collection journeys and it seems reasonable to ask residents to play their part.

We will all remember the complaints that were levied when the Royal Mail decided to cut two postal deliveries to one.

Today, it would seem excessive to have more than one residential delivery per day.

The fortnightly collection cycle of our refuse and recycling appears to have started satisfactorily, but there are teething problems.

The council would do well to make plenty of provision to answer the concerns raised by households that are clearly struggling with the storage of their wheelie bins and recycling boxes.

It should have some focus studies on how to deal with the unsightly excess of bins stored outside the front of some properties such as flats, particularly if they are overflowing with two weeks' refuse.

Enabling households to wheel their bins through the house where rear access is not possible will be important (some washable wheelie 'slippers' perhaps?).

Enabling or advising residents in each property about how they can store their refuse outside in a more aesthetic and hygienic way, so they don't have to store two weeks inside their homes, especially during the summer months. will also be important.

Jonathan and Jane Finnerty, Waterside, Oxford