Environmental campaigners are urging Birmingham City Council to do much more to help householders recycle waste.
Friends of the Earth delivered 1,500 postcards signed by supporters to the Council House demanding faster progress on recycling. Doorstep collections of green waste and other materials began in 2004, but are unlikely to be extended across all of Birmingham until 2008.
City councillors have criticised as "utterly unambitious" a cabinet pledge to recycle 40 per cent of household waste by 2026. The figure is 16.9 per cent at the moment.
Friends of the Earth wants the council to promise that doorstep recycling services will be available for every household in Birmingham by 2008 and that the service will be extended to include oil, electrical goods, batteries, clothing, wood and kitchen waste.
Andy Pryke, campaigns co-ordinator at Birmingham Friends of the Earth, said: "Recycling has consistently been one of our most popular campaigns with a wide cross-section of the public from every corner of Birmingham.
"Many people recognise how far behind Birmingham has been and see friends and family in other areas receiving much better services.
"For a long time we've been asking for doorstep collections of a full range of materials for every household in the city. We're glad the council has announced an increase in collections but we'd like to see it aim much higher than a mere 40 per cent target."
The council started collections of glass, plastic and metals from 100,000 households this October, and has plans to extend the scheme to cover all non-multi-occupancy households by April 2008. However, this will leave about ten per cent of households without a service and flats are unlikely to be included.
