From almost a standing start, the district has grasped the concept of recycling with great enthusiasm and we are making great moves forward.

The latest advance is in the area of waste food. When this was first mooted there were lots of doubts raised.

For recycling to work, the material has to be easily collectable, available in great bulk and able to create a by-product which is of real use. That is why paper and bottles have led the way.

The early concerns over waste food have now been answered in tests in Todmorden and Halifax.

The containers are lockable and smells and flies have not been a problem.

And when the scheme is extended across Calderdale it is estimated that each year 8,000 tons of waste can be transformed into a soil enricher.

A bonus is that by separating food waste, people in each household realise how much they are throwing away – and start to consider how to cut down.

Perhaps when the dispute between the collection firms is resolved we will all start to realise what a great job Calderdale is doing.