AS a family that recycles as it should, I was amazed to discover that for the last two weeks, the refuse collectors have not emptied my recycling blue bin.

Today, however, they left me a letter from Thurrock Council Waste and Recycling Team stating: “Blue bins that contain any plastic bags/bin liners/plastic sacks will be rejected”.

Further on in the letter, it states: “This guidance has been advertised via local media and the council website”.

Great, if you get the local media or visit the council website in your spare time!

I have just emptied my bin of the three recyclable plastic bags purchased from the supermarket for containing waste paper and telephoned the Waste and Recycling Team requesting they return to empty my bin.

This request was refused and I was told to put my recyclable waste into the green bin. This flies in the face of recycling, does it not?

Or, I could take it to the council tip at Mucking or Purfleet, I was told. What, on the bus?

I then asked where the recycling material goes to and what happens to it. The answer was “to a recycling centre somewhere and it is recycled”.

The Waste and Recycling Team, incredibly, do not know what happens to the waste.

I asked about the companies who clean out bins after collection and then put in a black bin liner to keep them clean. The answer was: “These bins will not be emptied”.

Has the council informed these small businesses of their decision? I think not.

As a taxpayer and a council taxpayer, I expect more from my local council, not just arbitrary decisions from someone who may or may not even live in the area.

Also, when a decision like this is made, which affects thousands of residents, does the council not think it should inform us all by direct letter? - GRAHAM F TIDMAN, Argent Street, Grays.