COMING from a family whose family motto is 'Sans change' I am surprised at the resistance to change of some local residents, even when the change is clearly for the better.
I refer to the various letters expressing concern over the new recycling and waste collection service. A critical factor which Cllr Sampson referred to in his response to these concerns in last week's edition is the need to address the ongoing levels of landfill. This is a particular problem in the south west and arguably we can still be classed 'a throw-away society'.
The new arrangements go a long way to addressing this problem. Our previous concept of waste collection simply being dustbins full of rubbish needs to be challenged.
This is now becoming only the residual waste with hopefully the majority of discarded items being placed in the appropriate containers for recycling and composting — which will continue to be collected on a weekly basis! A message that perhaps Mr Pickles and his colleagues at Westminster need to receive and understand.
The new arrangements give us all the additional opportunity to help achieve the obvious environmental benefits of these changes.
Robin Musgrave
West Devon Borough Council ward member for Bere Peninsula