Belfast black bins may be collected just once a month

Jolene Gourley: They trialled this in my area. The recycling and food bins were once every two weeks and the black bin was once in four weeks. It was a disaster. Anyone with young babies in nappies, or disabled children/ adults in the house, were most affected.

Laura Stewart: Definitely agree. So many products are sold with a ridiculous amount of packaging. The general public can only do so much. Needs to start with the big businesses and work down.

Gwyneth McQuiston: The brown bin is disgusting — open the lid and stand back until all the flies have left and then, when you look in, there are very strange, yucky things creeping about.

Gary Chambers: Use your green bags. That won’t happen.

Gwyneth McQuiston: It’s the grass cuttings.

I use the green bags for everything else.

Lee Haslett: I use the green bags for all food waste, sometimes even double them up. It doesn’t stop the flies at the bin, because the green bags “sweat” and still smell. Flies lead to maggots — disgusting. Green bags do not prevent this, especially in this heat we’ve had.

Emma Drennan Irvine: We’d maggots in ours. I was nearly sick. Kathryn Kerr :The green bags are biodegradable and degrade, as they are designed to do, within a few days. Use your green bags. They’re only there to make it easier to get the stuff from kitchen bin to outdoor bin.

Vicki Nolan: This is a great idea and will really push recycling in Northern Ireland. The council do need to provide bigger recycling bins, or more kerbie boxes, for families with nappies/sanitary products etc. Go eco. Use terry towelling nappies. Buy loose fruit and vegetables. Buy bars of soap and powder instead of bottled stuff. Big supermarkets should lead the way and make everything recyclable.

Steven Campbell: Aye, a brilliant idea — if you want people’s bins overflowing with rubbish and rodents running about all over the place. I mean, who thought that this was a good idea?