We are being constantly exhorted to recycle and City of York Council kindly provides different coloured plastic boxes to help us.

I am in favour of attempts to reuse materials but a recent experience makes me wonder whether it’s worthwhile. I happened to see my boxes being collected and “emptied.” The operative wheeled a large red wheelie bin to the boxes then emptied each of my bins into the large bin. He gave the large bin a vigorous shaking before moving next door to do the same.

Unless the council has a magic machine which can separate glass, cans, paper, plastic, and cardboard then the whole lot must go to landfill. If there is such a machine then why haven’t we been told so we needn’t bother cleaning and separating our ‘recycling’.

Roger I Shenton,

Connaught Way,

Huntington, York