Jackie Jones says slumps in retail sales should be seen as a positive thing for the planet, and Patrick Cosgrove has a suggestion for how non-recyclable plastic can be converted into fuel or new plastic

You warn of the fears of the wilting economy (More retail gloom as Asos warns on profits, 18 December), quite rightly the main concern at the moment being the loss of jobs. The loss of share value and company profits are also mentioned. But nowhere do you discuss this in the wider terms of climate change. If the downturn in the economy means that there is less consumerism, then that is a good thing for the planet. The only way we are going to tackle the rising temperature and the ensuing disastrous results is to live simpler lifestyles; this means consuming much less of everything and not being so dependent on a capitalist society where a drop in sales is seen as a disaster.

It is sad that it has taken the mismanagement of this government to reduce consumerism; but more needs to be done with regard to education, enforcement and information about the effects of shipping produce all around the world. Until a drop in the retail market is seen as a benefit, there is no hope.

Jackie Jones

Brighton

• Michael Gove’s proposals for waste (Packaging producers to pay full recycling costs under waste scheme, 18 December) could progress faster, but they are welcome. However, the processing of currently non-recyclable plastic is not properly addressed. This is “all the other plastic crap that we burn”, as a senior manager in the recycling industry once told me. Included in this are toothpaste tubes, used Biros, crisp and chocolate wrappers, bits of toys, disposable razors, “string” bags for satsumas and onions etc. Every kilo burned creates three kilos of CO 2 , but it’s technically recyclable using a process called pyrolysis, which takes any plastic waste and converts it into diesel fuel or new plastic.

The items are small; scaled up, the volume is large. I have filled a two-litre drinks bottle every week. In developing countries, people cram it into plastic bottles with a stick to make ecobricks for construction. There’s limited potential for these as building material in the UK, but they could be brought into our recycling stream. I’m doubtful that current sorting processes can extract these bits and pieces, but if households were to change their habits and always have a plastic bottle on the go, they could be collected weekly as a clean source of renewable material that is easy to handle. Furthermore, children love doing it. Schools could make it part of every school day and receive incentives or rewards for the carbon captured and hydrocarbon reused. The environmental lesson would be of immense value.

Patrick Cosgrove

Chapel Lawn, Shropshire

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