VISITING my son and daughter-in-law on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, we saw the way their refuse is collected and, wow, what a difference from ours.

Every week their household rubbish is collected and every two weeks the recycle bin is emptied.

The refuse lorries have a system whereby they can pick up the bin and empty it straight into the back of the lorry then replace it in the exact same spot from which it was lifted.

It is quick, clean and efficient.

When it's the week for the recycling lorry, it just comes along after the other one. Everyone puts their bin out, facing the correct way and, hey presto! job done - no people running round pulling bins across the road and householders having to go out searching for them.

Then, just to make sure all is clean and tidy, along comes the road-sweeping lorry.

There are lots of rubbish bins, all regularly emptied, and people just put their rubbish in them, there's hardly anything left on the road or beaches.

People just take a huge pride in where they live here so everywhere is very clean.

Janet S Kitchen, Ashley Park Road, York.