Bottle banking

SIR – I wonder why the Government’s proposed plastic recycling scheme (“Pay 22p charge for a plastic bottle”, report, March 28) has been so long in coming.

When I lived in New York State between 1998 and 2003 the scheme was already commonplace. A five cent charge was levied on all bottles and aluminium cans.

Each of the supermarkets I used on a regular basis had automated collection points that scanned the item and, if valid, crushed it and collected the remains in concealed bins. At the end of the recycling exercise, a ticket was issued that could be discounted from the next grocery bill or converted into cash at the customerservice counter.

A beneficial side effect was that redeemable items were almost never seen as litter; the destitute could collect and redeem them for cash. John W Smith

Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire

SIR – The UK’S proposed bottle deposit scheme has been in force for many years in Berlin with great success.

One unpleasant side effect, however, is that it has encouraged some people to make a career of collecting plastic bottles from litter bins.

Often people can be seen opening plastic bottles and allowing the contents to fall on to the street. Dr Martin Kidd

Berlin, Germany

SIR – Our excellent local butcher has invested in a simple machine that produces greaseproof-paper bags (Letter, March 29).

This was the result of customers asking for their purchases to be wrapped in paper, not plastic. Simon Olley

Sevenoaks, Kent