I thought it was swell but now it’s just swill

I fully agree with the council’s policy on recycling and for two weeks now have followed the guidance booklet instructions on what to put in each bin.

However, even though our food waste is minimal, I’m appalled at the state of the 23-litre caddy after it is emptied – the stench and wet deposits left are utterly unhygienic and disgusting.

It’s as if we are going back to the days when waste food was saved in a bin by the householder and collected by councils for onward transmission to be distributed for “pig-swill”.

The instruction booklet states that the food caddy may be lined with newspaper or special compostable liners – a small quantity of which has been supplied.

I use these liners (and incidentally have purchased a large supply online) plus lining the caddy with newspaper. But the result is still totally revolting and replulsive. Surely in this day and age the council must be able to devise a healthier option for collecting food waste than the one now utilised?

I’ve written to ABC regarding this horrible situation but I won’t hold my breath that a solution will be forthcoming!

I’m off to scour and disinfect my caddy yet again... Stella Draper Ashford

My rubbish in my new fancy bins was supposed to be collected on Thursday under the new scheme. I duly put out my food waste and black waste bin and returned in the evening to find it rotting nicely in the sun along with our whole street.

I left it there Friday for another day of rotting and then called the council Friday evening. A backlog, I was told – it would definitely be taken by the end of Saturday.

On Sunday lucky Mr Fox managed to jump on the food waste bin and knock the clever lid down, spilling out all the food, so he had a good lunch and followed this by moving on to my live chickens for Sunday dinner.

Today is Monday and still I wait for a collection, and Mr Fox is no doubt waiting for dinner! I am told after sitting on hold for 10 minutes that there have been problems. Have more houses jumped up since last week or were the council just not ready to implement their new system?

So far I am one chicken down and several litres of water used to clean yoghurt pots and milk bottles, etc. Alexandra Parsons Westwell Leacon

Your newspaper’s coverage and editorial regarding Ashford’s new recycling program was excellent.

As a yearly visitor to Ashford I was quite surprised at the lack of an effective residential recycling program.

I have been involved in recycling programs in Canada since their inception 35 years ago. However, I have been truly impressed with Ashford’s launch of their new program.

After reading the clear and concise literature and observing the delivery of the bins I am amazed. To progress from a nearly non-existent program to a “cutting edge” initiative is admirable.

Well done Ashford, I hope the program is a resounding success. You are making a difference in your environment, to the benefit of your children. Elaine Nadalin Woodstock, Ontario, Canada

The first day of the new waste collection seemed to go so well: I am disabled but fortunately my 10-year-old daughter had no problem moving the grey bin to the pavement.

She assured me that she can handle the bigger green bin as well. That was good news.

Shortly after the waste collection I took the food bin in, opened it and was overwhelmed by a strong stench. I noticed that the egg shells were missing. Everything else was still in there, stuck on the bottom in a big, damp, stinky, moldy clump. Disgusting!

This taught me a lesson. I won’t put moist food waste into this bin again but put it in tightly sealed plastic bags into the grey bin. We don’t have a lot food waste anyway. B. Haddrell Waterside, Ashford

All the bins we were given for rubbish seemed a worry to us initially but the big upside I have noticed is how tidy our streets are now on collection days. No more bags being torn open by gulls and foxes. I think in time we will all see the benefits. David Flight Ashford

Well done to Ashford Borough Council and Biffa for implementation of the new recycling and refuse service. I know there have been a few issues but these are on the whole sporadic versus the scale of the rollout and task in hand.

Three months ago many parts of the borough didn’t even have blue recycling boxes and those that did were severely limited in what they could recycle.

The crews are having to work longer hours in this extreme heat to get to grips with new rounds and ways of working. They should be congratulated by us all for a job well done.

It’s now down to us as residents to ensure we recycle as much as possible to benefit our environment. It’s really not hard! Adam Hunter Colemans Close, Kingsnorth the visitors from elsewhere be coming to visit Ashford, or just John Lewis?

And what will the effect be on town centre stores, which will inevitably be paying higher rents for their ‘prime’ location?

As we are continuing to relocate our services out of town, I wonder what we should do with the town centre. Do we just accept that in this age of internet shopping and perpetual recession that the empty shops won’t be coming back?

Maybe we should convert some into affordable housing, which in turn might breathe back some life.

High property prices, in both town and country, mean little disposable income, so they don’t seem so desirable to me unless you’re already loaded.

When my Russian girlfriend visits I am almost embarrassed as we walk past all the boarded-up shops and pubs, but her opinion is rather more rosy; ‘Ashford is a nice town,’ she always says.

So I suppose we should keep things in perspective. On the plus side, the fast train to London is excellent (although a bit pricey), there are a handful of newer drinking establishments to offset the overall losses a little, the designer outlet seems buoyant and the cycle paths are more comprehensive than in many Kent towns.

And finally, following a visit to Milton Keynes, I can say that Ashford looked positively quaint. It’s all relative I guess! Adam Colton West View, Hamstreet

Personally, I think the standard of shops in the town centre leaves a lot to be desired.

There are too many of the same kind of shops, eg hairdressers/beauty salons, estate agents, mobile phone shops, charity shops and cheap discount shops. The old Blockbuster store is now one of these – surely the town does not need another of these shops?

I wish the town centre had more upmarket shops, as it is turning into a cheap and nasty place. Of course, there must always be a variety of shops to suit all tastes but I think things have gone too far. I do not now find the town centre to be a nice environment to shop.

There were reports of Morrisons taking over some Blockbuster stores so why, if Ashford town centre was so attractive to new businesses, did they not take over the one in the town?

That would have given the town a good quality shop and, believe me, it needs more quality shops.

Every time a new shop opens you can all but guarantee which sort of shop it is going to be.

I know this may be a bit harsh but I want Ashford to have more choice for everyone and perhaps people could have more pride in their town. Terry Lewis Ashford