Once again Sutton Council has got its recycling policy all wrong and contamination levels are rising.

It takes a peculiar type of genius to take an inherently popular and good idea like recycling and get it so wrong, managing to antagonise so many people, many of whom would like to support the policy.

Most contmination is caused by normal people making honest mistakes. It can only take one wrong thing in the green bin to contaminate a whole load, even if you get it 99 per cent right.

When I was the Labour environment spokesperson on Sutton Council, I used to sit in committees where Liberal Democrat councillors would talk about their own efforts to recycle. Some of them got it wrong. They were not committing sabotage. They supported the scheme. They even put it in their election leaflets. But if they can get it wrong, anyone can.

Sutton Council must stop trying to get 100 per cent recycling from a standing start.

It would be nice if it happened (and Sutton Council would certainly win lots of awards) but it won't happen.

The council needs to stress that people should keep anything they are unsure about out of the green bins in the first place, not pressurise them to fill it. That way, you still get the full benefit from those who do get it right.

Hassling people further with extra restrictions, such as limiting the number of sacks they can put out, will only make things worse.

John Morgan

Meadow Road

Sutton

January 31, 2003 13:00