The Journal carries numerous & regular references to recycling and the recent OPINION column by Eleanor Wills (Thursday February 2) was particularly interesting.

She lauds the movement to recycle as much as possible and indicates that she appreciates the attitude to retain items until they really need replacing.

However, she does not mention the "Repair rather than Recycle" fraternity. Ifixit, Restarters, and local Repair shops are just a few examples of an international swing towards that end.

There is pressure alongside these organisations to force manufacturers to make their products more repairable and to provide information and spares more readily.

(This is something which they prefer not to do, ensuring that useful items have to be discarded when they could be repaired rather than buying new).

They also withhold service information and diagrams.

The two movements are arms of the same eco-concern. The more we recycle and the more we repair, the less we throw away and the less we send to landfill so the less pressure we place on the limited resources of our planet.

All my life (now nearly 80) I have fixed things for myself, my family and my friends. As my expertise was mostly electrical or electronic, I fixed radios, toasters, record players, white goods and numerous other items including books, furniture, clothing and every item I fixed was one that either I, or the owner, didn't need to throw away and replace.

It also meant that the purchase of new items was not necessary.

I appreciate that Wiltshire Council does a lot to encourage recycling. However, it has a LONG way to go in the encouragement of repair.

Many recycling centres in other counties have sections devoted to the sale of items which have been bought in for disposal and can be re-used.

I have recently been trying to fix a kitchen appliance which needs a small, inexpensive but unobtainable part.

In order to re-use a part from a scrap item, I tried to obtain one from Salisbury recycling centre but not only was I not allowed to take away the item I needed even after contacting Wiltshire Council directly, but I was not allowed to put up a notice asking users of the centre to contact me before they scrapped one so that I could obtain the spare that I needed.

That meant two pieces of equipment scrapped rather than one and I will have to buy a new one for several hundred pounds which, in due course will go the same way.

Surely Wiltshire Council should be encouraging repair as well as recycling and maybe their recycling officer could be more helpful in this direction by helping repairers to gain access to the items they need.

David Willoughby,

East Harnham, Salisbury