WE were sorry to see (Daily Echo, March 26) that Norman Hebdige had been unable to recycle a large bag of beautifully clean, compacted aluminium foil at a local metal merchant.

Whatever the reason the merchant has stopped buying foil, it was not for lack of recyclability or value!

Good, clean foil has a factory gate price of £450, and all local authorities in the UK now have foil recycling facilities.

I do hope everyone keeps recycling foil in aid of the QE2 Activity Centre at Bursledon. Telephone 023 8040 4844.

Recycling aluminium is 20 times more efficient than making it from the raw material, bauxite, and the QE2 centre is an excellent charity to receive it, celebrating its 30th birthday this month.

CHERY HAMSON, communications director, Alupro.