Sir, - Instead of putting a tax on plastic bags, or switching to paper bags which will disintegrate at the first drops of rain, let me suggest a much more user- and environment-friendly alternative. Cellophane paper, strong and waterproof, and in existence long before plastic, is made from plant extracts, and is therefore fully biodegradable. Of course it is more expensive than plastic, and a glance at current affairs shows that the greed motive is very powerful in our society. How much is our environment worth? - Yours, etc.,
Rynagh Mac Carthy, Castleknock, Dublin 15.