Telford’s controversial two-bin collection system for domestic rubbish is still proving a flop with many households, according to a public satisfaction survey.

But more than two thirds are happy with the new system, despite complaints of overflowing wheelie bins being a breeding ground for rats and maggots. And residents are increasingly happy with the council’s performance on recycling.

Telford & Wrekin Council, under threat of Government “fines” for not doing enough to encourage recycling, has introduced a system of alternate weekly collections on a phased basis in recent years.

Garden waste and recyclable materials are collected one week, with household rubbish the next.

Officials accepted it would cause inconvenience for residents but insisted it was vital to educate the public to think “green”.

They said the country was running out of landfill sites and it was no longer possible simply to bury rubbish.

But many residents have grumbled about the new rubbish collection system – and this is reflected in the council’s latest official performance figures for 2006/07.

The previous three years showed more than 80 per cent of people were happy with their household waste collection.

But that figure has dropped to just 69 per cent for 2006/07.

However, residents are increasingly happy with the council’s performance on recycling. And a growing number of people are satisfied with the standard of cleanliness in their area.

But the amount of rubbish produced by homes is still high, with many critics blaming excess packaging by shops and manufacturers.

More than 529 kilograms of household rubbish were collected per head of the population in 2006/07, compared with 523 kilograms last year.

By Peter Johnson