EVER since its formation in May 2010, the coalition government has been prompting local authorities to simplify waste collections, improve efficiency and reduce cost. It has helped with a joined up central policy and incentives.

 The waste policy review in June this year promoted an integrated approach to waste management across domestic and industry producers. It scrapped unfair bin fines and taxes while bringing in greater powers to deal with fly-tipping. Government's intention was for councils to provide an easy to use weekly service and for councils that initiated complex recycling and fortnightly collections to simplify and revert to sensible weekly rounds.

Gloucestershire councils with predominantly Conservative administrations appear to be oblivious to the cost and environmental principles inherent in their central party's moves to scrap the target culture, and bring greater business sense and accountability in council waste management, at the same time driving towards significant reduction in waste going to landfill and recovering financial value and energy from waste materials.

As part of the government's joined up approach, Defra's recent move to scrap 'sell-by' and 'display until' labels on goods on supermarket shelves are aimed at reducing food waste at source. This would deter people from throwing away food when it is still safe to eat and bound to reduce food material going to landfill. Government is also promoting environmentally more efficient anaerobic digestion for treating domestic and industry food wastes where commercially feasible and to recover energy.

 The Forest council's signing up to a long term contract for food waste collection for supplying the county in-vessel composting site adds significant cost and harmful emissions apart from imposing further restrictions on householders and increasing wastage of precious water and energy for cleaning the food and general waste bins. Its introduction early next year with cursory analysis of technical and financial merits would be seen as a white elephant in this context.

 This is all the more surprising given the precarious financial position of the council and severe reduction in many priority services affecting Forest of Dean residents and decisions to levy new charges such as for garden waste collection, and car parking to make up revenue.

 The reforming spirit of their central party in government appears to be lost on the Forest council's Conservative administration.

– Venk Shenoi, Blaisdon.