Coca-Cola has bottled it over plastic rubbish
JEREMY PAXMAN is right to ‘fizz over with rage’ at Coca- Cola claiming that customers prefer single-use plastic bottles (Mail).
This is out of step with public opinion. More than 50,000 people so far have signed up to the charity Tearfund’s Rubbish Campaign calling on Coca-Cola to cut its use of plastic, and have made their own pledges to do the same.
As the world’s biggest plastic polluter, Coca-Cola is irresponsible in continuing to pump out billions of single- use plastic bottles into poorer countries.
It’s time for Coca-Cola to listen to its customers, switch to refillables and stop making excuses. NIGEL HARRIS, Tearfund,
Teddington, Middlesex. I’D SUGGEST Jeremy Paxman’s rage would be better directed at the consumers who choose to discard bottles as litter rather than dispose of them responsibly.
I spend hours collecting litter in my local area and put recyclables in my household recycling bin.
RICHARD EVANS, Southampton.
Rising cost of care
I HAVE owned two care homes for nearly 40 years and am a former member of the Care Council for Wales, so I can explain why fees have risen considerably (Mail).
Staff costs are the largest single component of our operating costs. The minimum wage has increased substantially and will further rise in April.
Changes in regulation have increased our obligations and there are reduced occupancy levels due to the reduction in permitted double rooms.
The increasing emphasis on domiciliary care provision has resulted in the dependency levels of residents in care homes being considerably higher than they once were. More residents are admitted due to moderate or advanced dementia.
Cardiff County Council recently undertook a ‘true cost- of- care’ exercise and agreed to pay providers in line with the findings.
For persons with dementia, the weekly fee was calculated to be £761. This is considerably less than the cost of operating a local authority care home five years ago.
It is essential that pressure is placed on the Government to adequately fund local authorities to provide social care.
MARY P. COTTRELL, Cardiff. AS A dementia care provider for the past 32 years, I can confirm care fees are going up because of the increase in wage costs, together with staff pension costs, imposed by the Government.
April’s substantial increase in the minimum wage will also affect employers’ national insurance payments. There are 168 hours in a week, which have to be covered by at least two staff. That’s roughly the equivalent of five working weeks.
A question I often put to people is would you be happy to work five weeks for £ 700, which is the average weekly care fee?
The care industry is in crisis for many reasons, but the main one is that funding is not realistic relative to costs.
WENDY PEGGS, Coventry.
Markle debacle
I WATCHED with great sadness the Channel 5 documentary about Thomas Markle’s relationship with his daughter Meghan and son-in-law Prince Harry.
He is a father in every sense of the word: warm, loving, supportive and protective. But he has been hung out to dry and left to fend for himself.
He still shows such concern and compassion for the couple who apparently deserted him when he was in ill-health.
Like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, he is a free agent to earn what he can due to the situation foisted on him.
INA CHARLTON, Ffynnongroew, Flintshire. HOW right is the adage that you can choose your friends, but not your relatives.
Thomas Markle is a poor excuse for a father. ‘She owes me,’ he says of Meghan. How low can you get when you think your children owe you something for bringing them into the world.
It’s no wonder that the Duchess of Sussex wants to stay clear of most of her family.
RONALD BALL, Farnborough, Hants.
Give us a break
AS A former soldier, I have to say it’s disgraceful that the Royal British Legion top brass is closing the much-loved Poppy Break hotels (Daily Mail).
Cost saving seems to be the reason, which is baffling considering the vast cash reserves the Royal British Legion reportedly holds. And why is its national president Lt Gen James Bashall paid such a huge salary?
MARK ILES, Newark, Notts.
Motorists in danger
DRIVING up the M6 between Birmingham and Preston, I was surprised to find that on a newly opened stretch of four-lane smart motorway, all the safety refuges had been closed off by cones.
Any vehicle breaking down wouldn’t be able to stagger to the nearest place of safety.
If any other industry put lives in danger by such poor practice, the Health & Safety Executive would throw the book at them.
I am not convinced that monitoring screens to watch for potential life - threatening incidents on the motorways and then reacting to them is the solution when vehicles are travelling at 70pm. RICHARD STANIFORTH,
Melksham, Wilts.
All hands to the pump
I AM astonished that a woman has complained about having sore hands from using petrol pumps that she says are too big, blaming sexist petrol stations for her plight (Mail).
What is wrong with so many young people who complain about everyone and everything?
Her comment ‘Ooh, actually that quite hurts’ perfectly sums up the snowflake generation.
Surely it’s a blow to feminism that this poor thing has to ask her partner to fill up her car for her.
No doubt we’ll hear from her again when she is struggling to plug in the charger for her new electric car.
D. BRENNER, Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex. I AGREE that you need big hands to use petrol pumps. I’ve lost track of the times I’ve been boomeranged back by the hose. Does the tension spring have to be so strong? Mrs BRENDA COBBETT, Stubbington, Hants. MY ADVICE to the young lady who brands petrol pumps sexist because they hurt her hand: Get a grip!