I TOTALLY agree with JE Langford’s sentiments (HAS June 27) about the dubious eco gain by Sainsbury’s scheme to discourage the use of plastic bags through “use again” bags. I have also found myself buying plastic bags for disposing of kitchen waste, which rather defeats the object.

Like many others, I find my black wheelie-bin is full half-way through the fortnightly collection cycle, resulting in at least one 16-mile round trip to the recycling centre.

On examination of my rubbish, I estimate about 60 per cent consists of packaging material, most originating from my local Sainsbury’s or Tesco store.

Whereas I appreciate the need for packaging, many products are packed in an unnecessary secondary package.

My plea to the supermarkets is to provide customers with a depackaging table/area where we can strip off our unwanted cardboard and plastic, much of which could be separated and then recycled by the store and thus improve my carbon footprint by eliminating my drive to the “tip”.

Is it now time to follow France and the US in banning plastic bags and return to the tried and tested paper bags, which has the advantage of conserving our dwindling oil stocks (from which our plastics are made) and providing an environmentallyfriendly decomposable item?

Wally Walker, Great Smeaton, Northallerton.