Penalties and punishment of the public seem to be the norm in this 21st century government's policy. Within lies its own incompetence to address a simple issue of disposing rubbish and educating householders on recycling. Instead of taking responsible actions for its own failure to meet targets, it shifts the blame onto the householders. Perhaps Sir Michael Lyons might start by implementing a standard policy on recycling measures throughout the country. Specify the types of recycling bins or receptacles needed for each recyclable item and rewarding those local councils that meet this standard. The root of the problem is the lack of facilities available to householders to segregate their waste not a refusal to comply. The government should not use this excuse as a subterfuge to fund their incompetent use of public funds but be prepared to stand up and take responsibility for their own failure. Alice Wotherspoon, Wallington

Just imaging the administrative cost of this proposal. It would double the personnel on each bin lorry at least. Each bag would have to be identified, weighed and recorded. Any possible taxation benefit to the local council would be dwarfed by these costs. In Greece rubbish is efficiently collected twice a DAY and the cost is about 5 euros a month. Council Tax is 9 euros every two months for a broadly similar quality of service as the UK. Brian Vallance, Lefkimmi, Greece

How long is the current rubbish collection round? There are 50 houses in my street, lets assume two bin bags per dwelling at the premium rate for rubbish. This will require inspection. Then there is the process of establishing an agreed weight (no one wants to be overcharged) and finally the issue of a receipt. Dustmen are methodical and quick. This new tax proposal will require that they are also scrutinised to ensure they are collecting the revenue responsibly. Consequently the cost of rubbish collection will increase drastically, no matter the tax itself will foot the bill... real rubbish this one. Douglas Millar, Fulham

I'm sure that, if this half-baked idea is implemented, many people will consider putting their rubbish somewhere other than outside their own homes on collection day. May I suggest that outside the front entrance of their local council offices might be a good place? Bill Peters, Carhampton

If my council would give me a wheelie bin for each type of waste, I would gladly sort all my waste. If the council would then collect it from the kerbside and take it to the recycling centre, I would pay good money for that service. What I can't do is take it to the recycling centre myself. I'm disabled and have no transport. The buses don't go past the recycling site. Therefore, at present, most of my recyclable waste just goes into my ordinary bin. Name and address withheld

So charging for rubbish collection on the Continent has produced a reduction in the volume collected. It would be interesting to know where this "missing" rubbish has gone! Geoff Hoult, Bath

My family has been recycling food waste, paper, cardboard and glass for the last 25 years (my entire lifetime). The local refuse tip has been scaled down considerably in the last five years and all that replaces it is a tiny green box (in which you can only put paper and glass), patronisingly provided by the council once a fortnight. Money won't change a thing, it's people's attitudes that need to change. Starting with the local councils. Francis Roberson, Croydon

Lets view this for what it is... a red herring designed to distract us from the more important negative political headlines in the press. Everyone's already in a tizzy about it. However, kudos to the ideas generated as an alternative to the proposed tax. Supermarket packaging should be reduced and the number of plastic recycling bins increased dramatically. I'm in favour of fining those who don't recycle. Lets put these changes in today, and recycling will become inherent in the next generation. Chris Younger, London

The only thing rubbish bag tax would encourage is more griping and moaning from the public. Name and address withheld
We have a household of four adults, all with healthy appetites and a desire for new things which, as ever, come packaged. Havant also operates a system of taking recyclable rubbish one week and household waste the next. I hate to think about the potential health hazards posed by rotting food left in this heat for two weeks. We need to pay for rubbish removal, but sensible packaging and a more eco-friendly approach by manufacturers would help. The sytem in Germany works well for those who use it and drastically reduces home waste. Colin Gould, Havant

Strikes me as an excuse for raising taxes rather than a serious attempt to encourage recycling. Are the local taxes that already include rubbish disposal going to be reduced with the introduction of the new tax scheme? If governments were serious about encouraging recycling, they would introduce premiums or deposits on recyclable product packaging that could be redeemed for cash at recycling centers. Unredeemed deposits are forefeit to pay for disposal, and recyclers are rewarded for their efforts. Rather than encouraging on-the-fly dumping, we might have homeowners stealing each other's trash, rather than dumping it. Wouldn't that be refreshing? Bernhard Hoff, North Brunswick, New Jersey

At a slight risk of repeating others' concerns it behoves the government to tax the rubbish CREATORS first. I have no choice about the vast quantity of paper that comes unsolicited through my letterbox each week. Just about anything from a the shops except some fresh fruit and veg (and sometimes not even that) comes pre-packaged. I would gladly pay to have excess rubbish of my own creation removed even though I already pay for removal of household waste through my council tax; I object most strongly to being told I must pay to get rid of others'. Could an alternative be to unpack everything bought in a shop at the point of purchase and leave the packing material for the retailer to dispose of? I'll use my leather shopping bag instead. Brian Naylor, Farnham

In principle, I agree that making the charges more transparent sounds like a good idea. It could be completely removed from council control then with independent companies touting for our business. The true cost of landfill versus recycle versus re-use might then become clear. Sadly, human nature probably means that many would take the easy option of fly-tipping, and without intervention the low prices for recyclable materials means little incentive for recycling. What we need is suppliers to reduce packaging and provide reusable containers, maybe bring back deposits on bottles, and that will only happen if we their customers make enough noise about it. Ricardo Cruz, Dorking

I cannot comment on how it is in the rest of the country, but here in Basingstoke and Deane, the council generously supply us with wheely bins to put our recycleables in. This is then emptied and approximately 60 per cent of the contents end up straight in the landfill because the council hasn't got enough facilities to deal with the amount of recycling we do in the borough. Richard Wilkerson, Oakley