I HAVE just read with great interest that Somerset Waste Partnership are encouraging the recycling of Christmas trees.

Well I have just this morning returned from the SWP ‘recycling’ facility at Priorswood, where they refused me the right to recycle a large (natural) Christmas tree and a pile of cardboard saved from Christmas.

The reason – my car is not approved! I live down a muddy lane, pull a caravan and have three dogs and consequently choose to drive a pick-up.

Pick-ups are now not allowed to unload at the recycling centre without a permit, and even assuming I am given a permit, I can only use the facility at certain times on certain days.

So I pay all taxes associated with my vehicle and I pay council tax (which I thought funded the recycling facility) but I am still not allowed to use the same facilities as my partner, who drives a different vehicle.

I would love to know the cost of administering this new permit system – and what it is hoped it will achieve.

And today the skips are collected at my place of work, so instead of recycling the tree and cardboard, I put them in a skip and they will by now be in some landfill hole.

KEITH HARTLAND
Via email