Letters: Clear rubbish mess up by giving bags of assistance

In an effort to encourage people to use their food recycling bins, why are we not able to obtain more compostable bags free of charge, when the initial supply the council provided runs out?

You can collect replacement rain covers free of charge for the red and blue recycling boxes from libraries, so why can’t you also collect rolls of the compostable bags free of charge from libraries?

Many folk will only use the food recycling bins until the initial supply of compostable bags runs out and will not want to fork out roughly £2.85 in a supermarket for another roll of bags.

Linda M Caine, Colinton Mains Green, Edinburgh

Are we too lazy to recycle waste?

So now we are to endure another reorganisation. This time it is recycling.

We thought the council was pleased with the results from the present system, but apparently we are confused.

What is it with Edinburgh citizens that we seem to have difficulty in distinguishing the different colours of bins and sacks?

Do we not read the instructions, or are we too lazy so have to be spoon-fed?

Joan Wightman, Kingsknowe Road South, Edinburgh

Taxpayers’ views are very welcome

I WOULD like to clarify the council’s position on recycling.

We have been investigating improvements to kerbside recycling for some months and proposals will shortly be reported to committee. Our target is to recycle 50 per cent of household waste by 2015 and 60 per cent by 2017.

We welcome residents’ views on the best way to achieve this and over the next few months we will be communicating and engaging extensively with residents to make sure they have all the information they need in order to bring in these changes smoothly. As well as leafleting households we’ll be running events and visiting residents to give advice on how best to manage their waste.

Councillor Jim Orr,  recycling leader, Edinburgh City Council

Political class are so out of touch

John Macmillan asks “Can churches avoid gay unions?” (Mouthpiece, July 28). His answer as a lawyer is not unless Westminster amends the Equality Act 2010.

The more important question is: should churches, synagogues and mosques be able to avoid marrying same-sex couples? For once the obvious answer is the right one; they shouldn’t be forced to marry anyone that they don’t want to. The alternative is that we live in a society where only “equality” matters but not freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

This policy has all the hallmarks of our out-of-touch political class. A contentious policy is forced through with near unanimous support from our politicians, but little support from beyond the world of politics and the media.

Also, the consequences of the policy are not thought through. We have seen this before; it was this “equality” at all costs attitude that led to the closure of Catholic adoption agencies.

The real objective of the “equalities” agenda is to drive Christianity and the Christian moral outlook – which a great many non-Christians share – out of public life. We should oppose this agenda.

Otto Inglis, Inveralmond Grove, Edinburgh

Cars at root of traffic problem

Many people assume that once the trams are running in 2014 Edinburgh’s traffic problems will be solved.

Certainly it will help as part of an integrated transport system, but the root problem is the thousands of cars that pour into the city daily.

Drastic measures have to be taken, congestion charging is essential along with heavier parking fines and also for illegally parked vehicles.

Unfortunately the council don’t have the political will or courage to implement the measures as they would be dumped out of office like the Lib Dems.

George Ritchie, North Gyle Terrace, Edinburgh