We notice some residents in Brighton and Hove are unhappy with their wheelie refuse bins.

Perhaps we can relieve their plight, as we would prefer to have the opportunity to dispose of our refuse via that type of bin.

We have to endure the dreaded black plastic bag method of disposal and all the problems that go with it.

First, there are the unsightly piles of bags at the kerbside.

Second, living in a rural area ensures the bags are regularly ripped open by foxes, rats, dogs, cats and other scavengers.

Third, the litter is then distributed throughout the village for the following few days until the residents can clear it away, ready for the next week's collection fiasco - all this in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Has anyone thought about how all these plastic bags are going to effect the environment long-term?

They will not decompose in our landfill sites. We are just ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away.

But it will not. We are only creating problems for future generations.

How can this possibly be referred to as an improved service? Improved for whom? Not the householders, nor their grandchildren's future when we are compelled to leave behind a legacy of filth.

Whichever body of people made these ludicrous decisions should own up now to their mistake and set about making amends. It is not too late to help save our planet.

Surely all councils should stand together on this issue and follow the same path throughout the country.

They should provide each household with two small wheelie bins (not the monsters they now have in some areas), one for general household rubbish and one for recyclable material. There should be one refuse collection per week, with vehicles capable of lifting the bins on to the lorries.

This way the refuse would be properly contained until collected and disposed of safely and hygienically. There will be no health and safety issues for the operatives to contend with, no additional hygiene risks in our neighbourhoods and a more efficient service all round.

So what about it, Mid Sussex Council Cabinet, can you lead the way forward into a better, cleaner, safer environment for all of us?

-Pam Baker, Clayton