I READ the letter that criticised me (Examiner, April 19) with some puzzlement as the comments in it seem to actually back up my point.

Vanessa’s house has three residents, mine has four. That immediately means I have a 33% increased capacity requirement over her. She also has a composter, whereas I don’t have a garden, so composting is not an option for me.

She says she nearly fills a bin after three weeks. If you take into account my increased capacity requirement and the fact that I can’t compost waste then I think we are both creating the same amount of non-recyclable waste per head.

As for her comments about me needing to learn how to recycle she couldn't have read my original letter properly because I clearly said we already do, according to the rules.

For Vanessa’s information I have already had someone from the council look at my bin and agreed that households like mine – four and five residents – have a problem which they said could be alleviated by putting unapproved waste such as Tetrapaks and yoghurt pots in the green bin so long as they were clean and dry. They don’t tell everyone that, apparently.

Yes that's right, I can wash and clean non-recyclable waste and put it in the green bin, which I presume later someone at the depot then separates and sends it to landfill!

Simply crazy. I could just put it straight in the grey bin and save everyone the bother.

Meanwhile, I am still struggling to get an answer from the council about the figures they used for determining the rule that only six residents and above can have an extra bin.

Nobody will give me a figure for normal bin usage per head. They have given me an average annual bin usage figure – in kilograms, not volume – but, as everyone knows people's capacity requirements will vary from week to week. An average figure is merely a midpoint in the normal bin usage range. Sometimes use will be above average, sometimes below.

I would like to know what how they worked out a normal capacity need per head that allows for this variation. I've actually been told that it is pointless me continuing to ask for this.

I don't know where to turn to next if the council is not willing to justify its rules.

John Mooney

Marsh