Britain should follow China’s example on renewables, writes Feargal Dalton , and Ian Paul urges the UK to step up to the recycling challenge. Neil Sinclair wants a fossil fuel-free February, while Grace Hewson wants a plastic-free newspaper

In view of the appalling revelations that the UK has been shipping vast quantities of plastic to China for many years (Editorial, 8 January), would it not be a good idea to have the UK lead once more in something and have genuine recycling plants set up here in the country? I mean genuine plants to process plastic from the UK and the rest of Europe, not just depots for onward reselling as seems to have been the case.

There are initiatives to use such waste plastic in innovative ways. For example there is a small startup company in Scotland, MacRebur, developing ways to reduce the amount of toxic bitumen in asphalt by substituting a proportion of waste plastic into the mix. Surely we should urge government and private industry to build and develop plants to deal with the problem now, before we are knee-deep in bottles?

Ian Paul

York

• China’s huge expansion of domestic renewables and $8bn in solar technology exports last year alone is stunning (China on track to lead in renewables as US retreats, report says, theguardian.com, 10 January). I wish we had the same level of vision and drive in the UK government and parliament to follow a similar model.

While there has been welcome expansion in offshore wind, solar and onshore wind are stalling as the impact of deep subsidy cuts bite. The vacillation over tidal energy is evidence of another renewable revolution being spurned, allowing our competitors to steal a march on us. This compares markedly with an attitude of bending over backwards to assist overseas operators with billions of pounds in effective subsidy support for new nuclear projects. It is an illogical and irrational energy policy which could drive energy bills up rather than down.

Last year was a record one for renewable energy in the UK, with solar and wind combined producing more electricity generation than coal for 315 days of the year, but will it continue as these negative policies begin to bite?

With the urgent need to decarbonise heat, and transport offering other benefits to the economy, let’s see some Chinese-type ambition in all sectors of our low-carbon renewable energy industry to drive an alternative energy revolution.

Feargal Dalton

Convener, Nuclear Free Local Authorities Secretariat Scotland

• We are currently in Veganuary, where people are encouraged to abandon their carnivorous ways and eat a vegan diet for the month of January. Perhaps next month the Guardian could organise “fossil-fuel-free February” where fossil-fuel car users are encouraged to abandon their polluting vehicles in favour of walking and cycling? It could become an annual event until fossil fuel cars are banned in a few decades’ time. It would also encourage petrolheads to develop a personal portfolio of transport options such as walking or using a bicycle for short journeys to the local shop while keeping car use for longer journeys instead of always using their cars regardless of distance to be travelled.

Neil Sinclair

Edinburgh

• You talk the talk. It’s about time you walked the walk. The only bit of unnecessary plastic wrapping that regularly goes into my shopping bag (linen, reusable) contains my Guardian and Observer Weekend magazines. It is not even fit for reuse round my sandwiches. When will you get rid of it or, at least, hold the unwanted but economically necessary advertising together with a brown paper strap?

Grace Hewson

Clevedon, Somerset

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