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Can anybody tell me the nearest place to go to recycle cardboard or plastic? At the moment I am going across the Borough and I am sure there must be a nearer site (other than the dump).

Would anyone else like cardboard to be collected fortnightly, along with everything else?

You can recycle cardboard at Cocks Crescent, round behind Somerfield, although you need to be aware that anything left outside the dumpsters will be taken to landfill rather than for recycling. Plastics can, I think, be recycled at the big Sainsbury's in Kingston, and perhaps at North Kingston/Hawker Centre too. We have our plastics (bottles etc) collected fortnightly - is this what you meant?

Tesco has great facilities (it's in the Merton borough) and you avoid the frustation behind the Post office where the cardboard containers are always full.

Think the new weekly recycling is coming into place soon and cardboard, drinks cartons and food waste will be collected...

After reading much in the press and concluding that I was vehemently opposed to any changes to our weekly refuse collection, I have just received a leaflet from the council. Having read the details, I am a bit more receptive to the idea. They are providing all the necessary bins; brown, green, black and a bag for your cardboard etc. Given the volume of the binware they are providing, I would be surprised if it streches the waste disposal needs of even the largest and most waste producing families. Firstly, shame on you if it does -it will do neither you nor the environment any harm to think about your waste disposal habits. Secondly, if you produce that much waste then perhaps you should bare a greater burden of the overall cost of waste disposal.

Another objection I used to hold was on the point of foul smelling waste being left for two weeks. I am halfway to overcoming that. Foul smelling waste (ie food etc) will still be collected weekly - hence no build-up. However, having just got the youngest of my lidlluns out of nappies, I am concerned how those still with nappies to dispose of are going manage.

In terms of storage, I find the current fortnightly recyclable collections difficult in terms of storing all the paper and plastic my familiy generates. Weekly collections of those items will help.

We also tend to blame our councils for putting the problem of waste disposal in our court. Just as we can't keep stuffing our rubbish under the sofa, our councils can't keeping tucking societies waste in out of sight holes endlessly. There can be no denying that there is a problem - perhaps we as consumers have got a part to play in solving the problem. Just practical thinking not wolly headed wishing to be green for the sake of it. Its also not necessarly our councils fault: they are charged a levy by central govt for the waste they produce. I also happen the think that producers have to play a part too - think of the volume of products that come out of B&Q on any given day. Now think of the volume of packging waste that is generated.

Of course I read horror stories in the certain papers (man fined for leaving bin lid 4" open) which I mostly put down to journalistic hype. So long as our council is prepared to play ball be reasonable in terms of carrots and sticks, I say lets give it a go.