The Push to Recycle Our Mountains of Trash

It was with great concern that I read your report on the garbage/landfill crisis (Aug. 23).

Among the technical data presented, you failed to mention three major sources of this disaster: The packaging industry, retailers and consumers.

The packaging industry produces an unquestioned excess of wrapping materials, whose production, implementation and ensuing need for disposal could easily be cut had the industry not instilled a false feeling of need in retailers and consumers.

The retailers consider it special customer service to wrap and rewrap goods that already are safely sealed by their manufacturers. In our beautiful supermarkets and drugstores, one can witness the horrendous waste at every check-out counter. A plastic bag for the ready-wrapped chicken, another baggie for the greeting card, a double paper bag for the wine bottle, until this often triple-packaged cornucopia ends up in too many carryout paper/plastic totes, each scantily filled,

In my native Germany, people pay a nickel for each plastic grocery bag (paper bags are not available for that purpose). In every neighborhood you find voluntary, non-paying recycling stations. Personal experience over there showed that in a two-person household the weekly trash can is barely full when recycling is practiced.

NORA BRANDT-SMITH

Palm Springs