Cutting bin collections won’t boost recycling

SIR – Cutting the frequency of bin collections, as councils are planning to do, in an attempt to promote recycling (report, August 28), completely ignores the cause of the problem.

Having always taken recycling seriously, I recently also started separating genuine household rubbish from non-recyclable refuse (clear plastic packaging from fruit and vegetables, Tetra Paks, yoghurt pots and so on).

The latter always exceeds the former. My household refuse is negligible, probably no more than 20 per cent of the total.

Manufacturers need to use more recyclable packaging; supermarkets need to sell more products loose; and, most importantly, the Government and councils need to research and invest in ways of recycling everything.

Southsea, Hampshire

SIR – I agree with Ann Marvill (Letters, August 30) that manufacturers should reduce the amount of packaging that they use. There is no reason, for example, why they couldn’t put larger quantities of items such as tissues in one big box, rather than shrink-wrapping two small boxes together to make “twin pack” offers.

Meanwhile, many stationery items such as pens are sold in cardboard and plastic packaging. Surely they can do without this.

Barnstaple, Devon

SIR – I would love to recycle more, but the list of things not accepted by our local council (Wakefield) is very prohibitive.

Plastics that are marked with a one or a five are allowed, along with all bottles. However, yogurt pots and margarine tubs are just two examples of everyday rubbish that is specifically excluded, and these items have to go in the general household waste bin. Most packaging is also excluded in our area.

Any suggestions on how I could recycle more?

Pontefract, West Yorkshire