I AGREE with Tony Kelly (HAS, April 27) about recycling. After paying our taxes we are now treated like recycling terrorists if we don’t obey the increasing orders by the authorities to clean and sort our rubbish, to put it all within easy reach of the collectors on the days specified by 7am, and to make sure it is only in the specified containers.

Along with the story of China being the rubbish dumping ground I have also been told that half of what we “save” is useless anyway as there are so many grades and types of plastic, tin and even cardboard that it is impossible – as well as expensive – to clean and grade it for future use, and it is entirely dependent on market forces.

My plastic and cardboard container is filled within days with all the packaging that manufacturers continue to use, along with the increasing unwelcome catalogues, and sales post for everything under the sun.

Maybe we should all unwrap our goods at the supermarkets and dump it back on them, post the unwanted mail back to the senders and politely tell the environmental bullies to get off our backs.

Like Mr Kelly, I want proof and not pompous words to convince me to continue to take part.

Mrs S Harnby, Stockton.