Dear Editor,

It has been suggested that the citizens of Maple Ridge would be delighted to have municipal garbage pickup.

I don't agree. For years we've all been encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle. I'm not convinced that a municipal garbage pickup wouldn't hinder our growing interest in recycling.

In our household we've managed, through recycling, to get our garbage down to so little that we need only visit the depot once every three months. This is a cost of approximately $30 to $40 dollars a year.

Why would I want to spend a great deal more to have it picked up at my door? The recycling program doesn't pick up everything, so I'd still have to visit the depot.

I believe any garbage pickup should be voluntary and not compulsory. Maybe Councillor Bob Masse [City survey promoted, Jan. 24, TIMES] is right: let's take a survey.

J. Jones, Maple Ridge