Sir, Thank you for highlighting the importance of in-vessel composting (Report, September 8). A large scale in-vessel composting plant could be up and running in Oxfordshire in a couple of years. These composting plants are clean, produce useful compost, and generate their own heat to process our kitchen left-overs. Kitchen waste probably fills up a fifth of our bins and black bags that go to landfill.

I'm delighted the Lib Dems are backing this composting idea. What a pity they are in such a muddle over the rest of their recycling plans. The promised consultation with local people just hasn't happened.

Labour's excellent green hessian sack scheme for garden clippings will be extended to the rest of us this month. But the public's understandable concerns about rotting refuse have not been addressed.

Wheelie bins and plastic recycling will be available in North Oxford, Jericho and Hinksey Park from November. But the rest of Oxford, including my own Littlemore ward, will have to wait until sometime in 2007. Let's hope the Lib Dems are more successful in pressing the case for large-scale composting and without delay.

John Tanner, Labour Environment spokesman, Oxford City Council