I can’t help thinking that government and councils are targeting their eco strategy in the wrong direction.

We are urged to recycle whatever we can then provided with bins that can’t cope with the volume. There’s a constant outpouring of advice on how to save the world by not travelling, not eating and not buying any new clothes.

They’ve blamed climate change on cows, cars, airlines, and the internal combustion engine but never at those massive retail chains that churn out tons and tons of totally unnecessary packaging every single day.

For some reason both government and councils prefer to beat up consumers than tackle the problem at source.

I nipped into one of our largest supermarkets yesterday and spotted apples on sale in cardboard trays covered with cellophane. Surely apples, bananas etc have the perfect natural packaging why do we need cardboard trays and cellophane?

Why do Amazon send small items like perfume in boxes large enough to hold a pair of hobnail boots? I don’t need it, you don’t need it so why don’t the government tackle them instead of hounding us?

Or are they just following the line of least resistance? Is it just easier to brow-beat the public than to fight with a global retail giant.

They do, however, need to find some courage if they really mean business.