BEXLEY Council has been blasted for doubling the cost of its compost recycling bags.


Onicah Pfidze, 36, of Cheviot Close, Bexleyheath, uses four brown paper compost sacks a month to recycle her family's food waste.
 

The bags fit inside the outdoor wheelie bins and are available from libraries across the borough.


Miss Pfidze says she chooses to use the bags because "it's hygienic".
 

The mother-of-two said: "Before I had them I would put the food directly in the bin and there would be maggots, it wasn't very nice for the people handling the bins."
 

But the council has now increased the price of the bags from 25p to 50p.


Miss Pfidze said: "Bexley is the top recycling borough in London and we do our best to help, why can't they recognise that?


"It's a 100 per cent increase and in these times it doesn't help us.


"It might sound like something really small but it's actually quite big."
 

Miss Pfidze says she has emailed the council twice to complain but has not received a response.


A council spokeswoman said: "The price of the caddy bags, which residents can choose to use for their food waste if they wish, have remained at 5p a bag.
 

"The compost sacks, for additional garden waste, have increased from 25p to 50p each.


"The price of these sacks had remained the same since 2004 therefore a rise was required to cover the full cost to the council in supplying them.


"Alternatively, if residents have additional garden waste this can be saved up until there is enough space in their brown bin - or they can bring it free of charge to the Reuse and Recycling Centres at Maidstone Road, Foots Cray and Thames Road, Crayford."
 

The borough achieved a recycling rate of 53.5 per cent for 2011/12, making Bexley the top London borough for recycling.