Sir, with all the moves to eliminate mercury and amalgam, has anyone considered the impact of the packaging waste we produce, as we aim to keep our instruments sterile and store them for the appropriate length of time?

I have no issue with sterile instruments, particularly forceps and invasive instruments.

But how often, for example, is it that a plastic X-ray holder is washed, disinfected, sterilised and put into a date-stamped bag only to be ripped open sometimes two minutes later, as it is needed in a busy practice? The bag is paper and plastic. We once stored these sensibly in a clean plastic box and rotated.

Recently, I had to throw away a plastic saliva ejector that had no expiry date ahead of CQC. I think we all know that from Blue Planet plastic lasts forever!

Dental materials have to be thrown away if they exceed their expiry date. Do all materials spontaneously and suddenly stop being fit for purpose?

At the same time, NHS England tells us that out of date Epipens are safe! What are we doing?

I saw just recently that supermarkets now sell food past their best before date in a bid to cut waste

Overjoyed.