SIR — I feel compelled to express concern at the decision by West Somerset District Council to discontinue the issue of plastic sacks for household refuse and the consequent ramifications.
Such a measure does not, of course, achieve any saving in cost; it makes no difference whether the sacks are purchased by individual householders or by the authority, they still have to be paid for.
Distribution of plastic bags by the authority would, however, achieve cost savings by bulk purchase, quality control over the robustness of the plastic and moreover ensure that the sacks used are biodegradable and eventually decompose.
These sacks must represent a minute outlay compared with the total cost of running the refuse disposal service, and it seems to me to be a retrograde step at a time when there is so much emphasis being placed upon preserving our planet for future generations.
Den Aslin,
Badger Park,