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The county's Division of Solid Waste Services just spent thousands of dollars sending a glossy mailer to residents promoting their residential composting program. But the bins they give out for free are, with one exception, available only on weekdays — an obstacle for many working families. And the employees handling the bin distribution lack the initiative and common sense to deal with this reality.

I went to the trash transfer station with a list of six families on my street who want a total of 13 bins. I had their names, addresses and phone numbers and was willing to provide that information on the roster of bin recipients, but the employee handling bin distribution would not give them to me, and I came away empty-handed.

I realize that the policy of giving out bins only to the residents planning to use them is to prevent unscrupulous profiteers from asking for dozens of bins, then selling them on the street for a profit. But surely the employees handling the distribution could use their common sense to give out more than two to a community organizer who can provide full information on the receiving households.

The employee who balked at my request would only give me the phone number of her supervisor. The supervisor, like so many executive branch employees, was not at her desk, and I could only leave a message on her answering machine asking for authorization to receive the bins.

I'm glad I didn't wait around for her to return my call, because she still hasn't done so.

This is a perfect example of a good program being undermined by the personnel charged with its administration.

Margaret Dennis, Potomac