Voluntary cooperation - the basis of markets but not exclusive to a market system - leads to a certain give and take. Hmm, yes, that seems a sensible solution to the problem at hand. That sense being determined by the people on the ground, at the place and time, observing said situation and coming up with a solution.

The we’ve the bureaucratic solution, the one where there must be a written rule for everything:

Litter pickers were told they couldn't recycle rubbish at council centre because it didn't count as "household waste".

“Litter picking” being where you go out and, well, pick up litter. Clean up a place that is. That litter then needs to go somewhere. The local council tip sounding like a good place for it to go.

But after filling six bags full of litter, Mr Mitchell turned up a the Richborough Household Waste Recycling Centre in Sandwich, Kent, last weekend (Aug 31) to dispose of them, but was turned away, being told it was just for 'household rubbish'.

Rules, d’ye see?

A spokesman for Kent County Council said: "The Richborough Household Waste Recycling Centre is for the use of members of the public to dispose of items which originate from their own property.

"If you are planning a litter pick, we would encourage people to contact their district or borough council in advance to arrange the collection of the waste.

"KCC has worked with district and borough councils across the county to make it easier and clearer to arrange disposal of waste from litter picks."

Politics, government, is at heart the system whereby we work out who deals with the rubbish. It has been said that the great genius of the British is to somehow muddle through. Few plans, little bureaucracy, rules only where there absolutely need to be such. Perhaps we should go back to that system rather than the current one where the anal retentives are in charge?