READERS in Blackburn and Darwen who are good at puzzles may be interested in pitting their wits against the mystery of the excellent green recycling tubs issued by the council.

These tubs are used for plastics of all kinds, metal of all kinds and glass of all colours.

They are emptied efficiently by a firm, whose name is itself something of a mystery, and everything is mixed all together in the back of a nice, clean lorry.

Commonsense suggests that separation of these materials would be extremely difficult.

How are these materials disposed of? Could they be dumped? In the UK? Almost certainly not. In the EU? Very doubtful. Far out to sea?

But how about countries like Taiwan and Indonesia which, because our landfill sites are becoming full, might kindly let us use theirs?

Who can answer such questions? Perhaps not the councillors who, after all, are just representatives of us ordinary residents and can't be expected to know everything.

That leaves the higher non-elected officers of the council, who due to their splendid salaries, might be expected to know quite a bit more.

It would be interesting if the councillors could organise a competition using the knowledge supplied by the higher officials. Residents could send in their guesses and those nearest to the mark would receive prizes.

After all, residents spend time and effort to fill these tubs and this would be a nice gesture from the council to show their appreciation.

MR P A MADDEN, Sudell House, Sudell Road, Darwen.