Sir, - The waste crisis is in part at least caused by our over-consumption. It is, therefore, wrong to proceed with plans for an incinerator in Galway as a way of disposing of that waste, without also looking at the consumption patterns that are producing it and considering ways that they can be rationalised so that the production of waste can be reduced.
The experience in other countries has shown that implementing an effective recycling plan could significantly reduce the overall production of waste. However, in the absence of proper recycling facilities for newspaper print, for instance, reducing the number of supplements in our daily and weekend papers or making them optional would reduce the production of waste paper.
The production of other waste could also be reduced by adopting strategies such as restricting the use of plastic bags, etc. We should also look at alternative ways of managing the waste we do produce, apart from incineration. For example, an advertising campaign to encourage composting would reduce the need to dispose of materials that can be readily composted.
We need to develop a comprehensive waste disposal strategy, that takes account of alternative strategies, and which is then effectively implemented, not just a "quick fix". - Yours, etc.,
Dr Elizabeth Cullen, Cochair, Irish Doctors' Environmental Association, Stoneybatter, Dublin 7.