COUNCIL chiefs have defended changes at North Yorkshire's household waste recycling centres after criticism from users.

Complaints were made after Environmental Waste Controls Plc (EWC) took over the management of the 16 sites just over a month ago.

Users taking rubbish said there were not enough skips and waste was not being separated, suggesting it would not be recycled.

Residents also complained that it was no longer possible to buy, and therefore recycle, second-hand goods.

North Yorkshire County Council described the issues as teething problems.

Councillor Clare Wood, the county council's executive member for waste management, said yesterday: "We accept there have been some difficulties changing over to the new system, but much of that criticism has focused on people not liking change.

"We've taken on board everything that people have said and we believe the sites are now operating much more efficiently than under the previous contract.

"In the past, we had to close sometimes while skips were being emptied or when waste arrived faster than it could be taken away.

"The high demand on the sites saw an average of 25 closures a month in recent times and that wasn't acceptable for council taxpayers."

Bill Edwards, managing director of EWC, said: "We have made a commitment to the people of North Yorkshire to quickly get into the position where we are recycling or composting 60 per cent of all waste delivered to the 16 sites.

"A key element of this will be ensuring that the recycling containers are emptied as soon as they are full, removing the frustration for users who turn up to find no space for the material they have segregated at home."

He said more waste was recycled last month than the previous July, adding: "I would like to apologise to those who have had problems in the past month and would also like to thank all site users for their patience through the changeover."

The new system replaced open skips with those which crush waste on site.

The centres taken over by EWC were Catterick Bridge, Harrogate, Leeming Bar, Leyburn, Malton, Northallerton, Norton, Ripon, Selby, Settle, Sowerby, Stokesley, Tadcaster, Tholthorpe, Whitby and Wombleton.