ES Views: Get tougher on all uses of plastic not just straws

Your commendable campaign focuses on encouraging businesses to end the wasteful use of single-use plastic straws in London [“The Last Straw in our war on needless plastic”, Comment, January 15].

There are other forms of single-use plastic too, such as plastic cutlery and cups from water coolers, which don’t have to be used. How easy would it be for people to bring in a reusable water bottle from home?

Plastic bags are also becoming less frequent, with retailers such as Whole Foods using paper carrier bags, while Marks & Spencer is also following suit. Simply recycling plastic is no longer enough. We need to get tough on the lazy use of plastic products and find some alternatives.
Fiona Leigh

In response to Michael Gove’s article [“Suck it up: Why pubs, clubs and restaurants must bin the straw”, Comment, January 15], we support the aim of becoming of more environmentally friendly but the latest drive to ban plastic straws from restaruants, pubs and clubs overlooks one important point — for disabled people such as me, with a muscle-wasting condition such as muscular dystrophy, lightweight plastic straws are a lifeline.

The debilitating nature of muscular dystrophy means muscles become progressively weaker — holding a cup, for example, can often be an impossible challenge. The move away from stocking straws by some restaurants will force people with muscle-wasting conditions to rely on family and friends to support them to drink when they go out.

Straws allow disabled people to drink independently. Pubs, clubs and restaurants should purchase eco-friendly alternatives.
Lauren West, Muscular Dystrophy UK

While your stance on plastic straws is commendable, it doesn’t tackle the issue of the billions of single-use water bottles, takeaway coffee cups and the staggering amount of food packaging items that are consumed in this city each day.

We must be bold and not just target straws but focus on all single-use plastics. This is only the first step in changing people’s attitudes.
Joby Scarff

IT would be helpful if the Standard could highlight the plastic content of cotton ear buds. Specialists doubt their medical benefit — but in any case, surely buds’ plastic element could be replaced with biodegradeable alternatives?
Guy Fearon

Am I being unduly cynical at the support from retailers for compulsory plastic bag charging? Apart from the companies who claim to donate to charity, the rest will be laughing their way to the bank.
John Hein

Carilliongate shows privatisation myth

Anthony Hilton’s insightful article into the Carillion crisis [Comment, January 15] indicates the underlying concern with every attempt to involve the private sector in providing public services, whether by contract or direct privatisation.

Does it ultimately result in cheaper and better goods and services than could be provided by public entities? Even if one allows, for the sake of argument, that savings can be made for such provision per se, do the costs of drafting specifications, receiving tenders repeatedly, policing and, if needed, cancelling contracts, of legal and consultancy services and of making transitional arrangements, cancel out these savings and more?

Of course, contracts in such circumstances are shrouded in commercial secrecy, which prevents objective scrutiny, and accounting horizons are gerrymandered to try to put these costs off-balance sheet.

The case for privatisation, even after 40 years of advocacy by neo-liberal think-tanks, does not address what could be called the “costs of insecurity”. Only with complete transparency can disinterested judgments be made on the value of these relationships.
Neil Harvey

The majority did not vote for Brexit

Robert Readman is incorrect in stating that "the majority of the electorate voted to leave the EU" [Letters, January 15]. The fact is that 37.5 per cent of the electorate voted Leave, while 34.5 per cent voted Remain and 28 per cent did not vote — hardly an endorsement for Brexit.

The referendum, as we all know, was distorted by inaccurate assertions from the Leave campaign, depriving us of the facts necessary to make an informed choice. Slowly, some of the implications of Brexit are emerging.

I wonder what Mr Readman will make of the thousands of refugees and migrants arriving at Dover every month if France exercises its right to move the border back to our coast in the event of a hard Brexit?

It is essential that we have a second referendum based on facts, not fantasy.
Keith Wooldridge

No sign that Brexit leads to job losses

Green Party MEP Jean Lambert predicts that 87,000 City jobs will be lost once Britain leaves the EU [Letters, January 15]. Excuse me if I am just a tiny bit sceptical.

Turning from prediction to fact, Ms Lambert might wish to ponder recent headlines which read: “UK manufacturing enjoys best quarter for three-and-a-half years”.

If that is Brexit devastation, can we please have more?
A Carmichael

How to solve the teacher shortage

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read about the global search for teachers [“£10m global search to end teacher crisis”, January 15].

I am a European who arrived in the Eighties to shore up the ranks of teachers and I don’t even know if I am wanted any more. What I do know is that if the Government stopped diverting money unecessarily into academies and free schools and reinvested it in “ordinary” schools, as well as trusting teachers, it would certainly help retain more of them.

This would also save millions on recruitment — a similar crisis to that which is happening in the NHS.
Kate Berger

Southern's service is beyond a joke

Chris Gibb’s wonderful vision of Southern and the other rail operating companies [Letters, January 15] emanates from a different world.

The world of a Southern commuter involves longer journey times, overcrowding, regular cancellations and above-inflation fare rises. Quite simply, Southern is incapable of maintaining its rolling stock.
Alastair Noble

When I travel my top priority is to reach my destination in one piece without being dragged along the platform, getting injured or being abandoned.

If this means employing guards to control the doors instead of putting extra strain on drivers, then so be it.
Ian Shacklock