AS a contribution to the recycling debate, readers and council officers might be interested in our experience. Acknowledging that every household is different, this one consists of three persons and a medium-sized garden.
Over the past two months, our black bin has rarely been more than half full for the weekly collection even when it contained excess garden rubbish which could not be accommodated in the garden composter.
Why? Because in addition to metal, glass and paper which has gone into the re-cycling containers, we have refrained from putting in any cardboard and plastic.
The result has been a number of boxes of cardboard which have been dropped off at our local amenity tip, but, surprisingly, more than two wheelie bin liners full of plastic, even when crushed.
Most dairy products, milk, butter, margarine, yoghurt, cream, cheeses as well as prepared meats, some fresh fruit and vegetables, and most cleaning products, come in plastic containers.
We find that our local amenity tip is unable to take all this plastic waste for recycling.
Perhaps the council has a lesson to learn here.
It requires little effort at washing-up time to separate these items and any waste food items which will not tempt the birds on the bird table are carefully wrapped in the abundance of bags thoughtfully provided by the supermarkets, thus avoiding any health hazard.
Margaret and Peter Braithwaite,
Netherwoods,
York.
Updated: 10:20 Tuesday, August 23, 2005
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