We read that if we continue to produce waste at our current rate, all the landfill sites in Sussex will be full.

The proposed incinerator at Newhaven is no doubt seen by some (or many) as the answer to all our waste problems.

The arguments against that are well documented and I support them. In the meantime, I have cut my own household waste production by about half by recycling.

The Kingston Recycling Scheme was started by a band of volunteers in November 2001 and is enthusiastically supported by the volunteers who run it and the villagers who subscribe to it.

The scheme was set up because of demand from residents who wanted to do something positive towards preserving their environment.

It is proving to be not only well supported by the people who live in the village but also fun.

Subscribing residents were provided with large plastic tubs at the start of the scheme.

The recyclable materials are collected from their doorsteps every two weeks using a modified electric milk-float.

Thirty-seven volunteers work in teams on a rota basis to collect materials from around the village.

The people of Kingston can now recycle much of their household waste easily.

This has meant many people who previously could not find the time or inclination to sort and drop their recyclable rubbish are now doing so.

The volunteers collect newspaper, plastic bottles, glass and tins.

This material is taken to the designated collection points next to Furniture Now in North Street, Lewes, and the float unloaded by the volunteers.

In the two months running up to Christmas, the teams collected 12 tonnes of waste, equivalent to 140 wheelie bins and 300 mailroom sacks of recyclable material.

-Sandy Hooke, Kingston