'People need more encouragement'

Paul Clark, Michelle Langan and 11-month-old Sol live in Stoke Newington, Hackney.

Paul says: "With a baby you tend to generate a huge amount of rubbish, particularly when using disposable nappies, wipes and tissues.

"We tried a re-usable brand of nappies when he was first born but they were very awkward and time-consuming to wash and dry.

"Everything for babies seems to come with a ridiculous amount of packaging, especially toys, and even small things like dummies and spoons. We try to buy stuff with minimal packaging if at all possible.

"We produce about three or four bags of rubbish per week, which is more than any other household in our block.

"As we both work full time, we tend to use convenience products like ready-made meals and take-aways, which inevitably come in at least two layers of packaging. Our little boy eats at least two or three jars of food per day, which means more glass in the bin.

"There used to be a recycling centre near us in Stoke Newington but it was closed about two years ago, so we were forced to put it back into the bin. The only thing we completely recycle is paper and cardboard, and we collect about a sack of that per week, including anything from tissues to pizza boxes.

"London, and Hackney in particular, already has a massive problem with fly-tippers. If charges for rubbish bags were brought in, it would only escalate further, as people look to dump their share onto someone else - it would be chaos and a health hazard.

"Rather than penalise people financially they should be encouraged to recycle with separate collections for bags of recycled materials."