WHAT we need in Bury, and throughout the country, is well thought out, comprehensive, carefully explained policy on recycling that treats us as responsible individuals.

I wrote this several years ago in a letter which was published by the Bury Times. In the meantime we have struggled with confusing inadequate and contradictory directions. We have coped with silly little black bins with lids which blew off. What we have now (chips) is another unnecessary and expensive gimmick, which assumes we are irresponsible idiots. Your headline Big Brother state idea is just scaremongering' - maybe it will scare this government into thinking out a sensible policy and letting us know what they want. Other countries can do it.

We were recently in Canada living at the end of a road five miles from anywhere. Our rubbish was collected every week, and we had detailed directions as to what was recycled.

What is the solution?I wrote my suggestions and sent them to the responsible council official. No answer. For a starter, we need more detailed advice on what plastics should be put in the blue bin. It now says plastic bottles'. Before the blue bins, we were told yoghurt containers' and the like. There are different kinds of plastic. Canadians can tell the difference. I also asked in my letter to the council what they are doing about recycling bulk plastics and supermarket carrier bags (banned from the blue bin). Tesco collect carrier bags, why can't the council? There is more plastic in one of our broken lawn chairs than we have in a year's collection of plastic bottles. Who is to blame?

Bury Council's chief executive Mark Sanders and hundreds of authorities across the land are left with the task of explaining and defending the inexplicable and indefensible. His explanation doesn't make any sense. People on the Goshen Estate have responded very well. I know this from walking around on recycling days. Or ask those who collect the bins. We don't need targeting.

Nationally the waste of time and money on putting chips on bins must add up to millions of pounds. Why can't the government get it right? Recycling is not a new idea which came to light in 1997. Ten years of bungling is 10 years too long. Other countries do it. There must be models to go by.

Bill Brison