Some Aussies may have gotten so used to it that many don’t notice it passing by.

But for someone seeing our bin collection system with fresh eyes, believe it or not, it still causes jaws to drop!

That was certainly the case with British expat JZ, who couldn’t believe her eyes when she spotted a rubbish truck collecting bins in a suburban Queensland street using a mechanical arm to pick them up and empty them into the truck.

'Guys, Australia is in the future,' she said, impressed by the sight.

'Look at that. That makes so much sense.'

A British expat was surprised to see how rubbish is being collected in a Queensland street. Image source: TikTok/@lifeofjz_.

Unsurprisingly, JZ’s post caused quite a stir on social media, with Aussies surprised to know that this system isn’t standard outside the country and that many other parts of the world still rely on manual collection. JZ herself was used to seeing people do the job manually back in London.

'This isn’t a thing outside of Australia?!' one commenter asked, garnering 10,000 likes.

Another reaction that garnered 20,000 likes said: 'Just found out this isn’t standard.'

'Aus[tralia] has had this for over 30 years. It didn’t occur to me the UK still has people doing this by hand,' another commented.

While another Aussie asked: 'Wait, are all bins not emptied like this?'

On the other hand, an American shared: 'This is how it is collected all over the US. Kind of shocked it’s not like that in the UK!'

Meanwhile, some residents in Sydney pointed out that they also have manual garbage collectors in narrower city streets.

It turns out that the state of Arizona in the US was one of the first places in the world to use this incredible device, nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

Developed back in 1969, the original machine was the world’s first automated residential side loader, which allowed the garbage collector to stay in the truck and let a robotic arm pick up, empty and set down the bins—saving a lot of time, energy and back pain!

You can watch JZ’s full video which has been viewed a whopping 780,000 times below:

​

But does this 'Godzilla' really make life as easy as it seems?

Well, there's a slew of benefits that have been recognised across the globe, from the United States to Japan, where similar automated systems are employed.

Where traditional garbage collection systems necessitate the labour-intensive manual handling of bins, automated systems offer a more efficient option. These motorised marvels do the heavy lifting—literally. Now, there’s less physical strain and a lower risk of injury for workers, making these jobs safer and more appealing. Isn’t that a beauty?

Furthermore, bin collection has become faster and less disruptive to our peaceful suburban streets. Imagine, instead of an entourage of burly blokes tossing bins around, a swift mechanical arm subtly whisks your waste away. No fuss, no noise, and certainly no lingering smell. Crikey, what's not to love?

It's not just about maintaining the peace though. The efficiency brought by these automated systems can also result in some serious dollar savings. A rubbish truck with a single operator able to lift, empty, and reset a bin means lower labour costs and higher productivity. Sounds like an investment from where we're standing.

Importantly, these modern systems are also environmental champs. An automated rubbish truck is often a greener vehicle, as less energy is spent on the continuous stop-and-start pattern of traditional garbage collection. As a result, we see reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions. That’s taking rubbish collection to a whole new level!

So, while it may take us a minute to pause and appreciate our humble garbage truck, it seems these nifty machines are doing more than just keeping our streets clean. They're protecting workers, saving money, reducing noise, and supporting the environment. Now, if that doesn't sound like the work of a real hero, we don't know what does!

Key Takeaways

• A British expat, known as JZ, expressed her surprise at a mechanical system being used for bin collection in Australia, unlike the manual process she was used to in the UK.
• The video JZ shared of the automated process of bin collection caught the attention of many Australians, who were then made aware that this isn't a common sight in the UK.
• While some Australians mentioned having a manual collection in narrower city streets, some Americans commented that they too have garbage trucks with robotic arms.
• The world’s first automated residential side loader, where the driver didn’t have to exit the truck and a robotic arm emptied the bins, was introduced in Arizona in 1969 and was nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

Is this common in your area, too? Let us know your thoughts on JZ’s discovery below!

 

[Rob44]

As a long-ago once upon a time professional Pomgolian garbo back in the good old days of the UK, it gave me a clean job in fresh air walking about 5-8 miles a day and none of us were burly blokes chucking bins around. There is considerable skill to wheeling out at the same time two Pomgolian steel rubbish bins filled with ash and assorted stuff, and even more skill in lifting them to one's shoulder to tip their rubbish into the back of the crusher truck. If the bin is lifted correctly to your shoulder, it won't wreck one's back or rupture you. It certainly keeps you fit.

Mechanical lifters on trucks may be more efficient in Oz where a great many people live in separate houses and not terrace houses with no back lane for the garbage truck, or streets relatively free of parked cars, but consider that the one-time gang of 5 commonly cheerful blokes following the Pomgolian garbage truck actually got paid a wage that ensured five families could put meat and bread on their table every day of the week. Not all mechanisation and computer-run gadgets benefit the worker who is put out of work.

 

[Ian Crane-Luff]

Some Aussies may have gotten so used to it that many don’t notice it passing by.

But for someone seeing our bin collection system with fresh eyes, believe it or not, it still causes jaws to drop!

That was certainly the case with British expat JZ, who couldn’t believe her eyes when she spotted a rubbish truck collecting bins in a suburban Queensland street using a mechanical arm to pick them up and empty them into the truck.

'Guys, Australia is in the future,' she said, impressed by the sight.

'Look at that. That makes so much sense.'

View attachment 30455

A British expat was surprised to see how rubbish is being collected in a Queensland street. Image source: TikTok/@lifeofjz_.

Unsurprisingly, JZ’s post caused quite a stir on social media, with Aussies surprised to know that this system isn’t standard outside the country and that many other parts of the world still rely on manual collection. JZ herself was used to seeing people do the job manually back in London.

'This isn’t a thing outside of Australia?!' one commenter asked, garnering 10,000 likes.

Another reaction that garnered 20,000 likes said: 'Just found out this isn’t standard.'

'Aus[tralia] has had this for over 30 years. It didn’t occur to me the UK still has people doing this by hand,' another commented.

While another Aussie asked: 'Wait, are all bins not emptied like this?'

On the other hand, an American shared: 'This is how it is collected all over the US. Kind of shocked it’s not like that in the UK!'

Meanwhile, some residents in Sydney pointed out that they also have manual garbage collectors in narrower city streets.

It turns out that the state of Arizona in the US was one of the first places in the world to use this incredible device, nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

Developed back in 1969, the original machine was the world’s first automated residential side loader, which allowed the garbage collector to stay in the truck and let a robotic arm pick up, empty and set down the bins—saving a lot of time, energy and back pain!

You can watch JZ’s full video which has been viewed a whopping 780,000 times below:

​

But does this 'Godzilla' really make life as easy as it seems?

Well, there's a slew of benefits that have been recognised across the globe, from the United States to Japan, where similar automated systems are employed.

Where traditional garbage collection systems necessitate the labour-intensive manual handling of bins, automated systems offer a more efficient option. These motorised marvels do the heavy lifting—literally. Now, there’s less physical strain and a lower risk of injury for workers, making these jobs safer and more appealing. Isn’t that a beauty?

Furthermore, bin collection has become faster and less disruptive to our peaceful suburban streets. Imagine, instead of an entourage of burly blokes tossing bins around, a swift mechanical arm subtly whisks your waste away. No fuss, no noise, and certainly no lingering smell. Crikey, what's not to love?

It's not just about maintaining the peace though. The efficiency brought by these automated systems can also result in some serious dollar savings. A rubbish truck with a single operator able to lift, empty, and reset a bin means lower labour costs and higher productivity. Sounds like an investment from where we're standing.

Importantly, these modern systems are also environmental champs. An automated rubbish truck is often a greener vehicle, as less energy is spent on the continuous stop-and-start pattern of traditional garbage collection. As a result, we see reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions. That’s taking rubbish collection to a whole new level!

So, while it may take us a minute to pause and appreciate our humble garbage truck, it seems these nifty machines are doing more than just keeping our streets clean. They're protecting workers, saving money, reducing noise, and supporting the environment. Now, if that doesn't sound like the work of a real hero, we don't know what does!

Key Takeaways

• A British expat, known as JZ, expressed her surprise at a mechanical system being used for bin collection in Australia, unlike the manual process she was used to in the UK.
• The video JZ shared of the automated process of bin collection caught the attention of many Australians, who were then made aware that this isn't a common sight in the UK.
• While some Australians mentioned having a manual collection in narrower city streets, some Americans commented that they too have garbage trucks with robotic arms.
• The world’s first automated residential side loader, where the driver didn’t have to exit the truck and a robotic arm emptied the bins, was introduced in Arizona in 1969 and was nicknamed ‘Godzilla’.

Is this common in your area, too? Let us know your thoughts on JZ’s discovery below!

The old manual system with the garbage men running behind the truck was a favourite occupation of footballers, maybe having gone mechanically is why our footballers fail in the world cup.