I AM pleased to see that Waitrose is "going green" with the removal of black plastic packaging. Sadly, my (only) supermarket, the Co-operative in Aberfeldy, is not doing the same and is going backwards.

Instead of removing plastics from its shelves, it has recently introduced fully plastic-packaged fresh fruit and vegetables. Carrots can only be purchased in one kilo plastic sealed bags; leeks – three at a time – are wrapped in sealed non-recyclable plastic bags; aubergines are singly shrink-wrapped in plastic; turnips likewise, plus many more. On inquiring with its customer services department, I was told that “they hope to have something in place regarding recycling by the end of 2020”. There are no vegetables being sold loosely in the store and customers are being forced to buy in bulk with a four-day use-by date – a bit tricky for single people or the elderly. Most of the packaging is labelled “not yet able to be recycled”. In fact, in today’s small shop basket, I counted at least eight pieces of plastic packaging which I was unable to recycle.

There are other supermarkets available, but they are a 40-mile round trip away. Would I be better using the car to help save the planet?

Carolyn Russell,

Clunybeag, Aberfeldy.