When we're far from home, a place's little quirks and details often catch us off-guard.

From their culture, store hours, and even how locals greet each other, we all learn something new about the places we travel or move to.

For one British expat, it was the sight of an Aussie garbage truck in action that left him utterly gobsmacked.

Accustomed to the ways of the waste collection back in England, he could not help but marvel at the Aussie way of taking the rubbish out.

The expat then took to social media to share his astonishment.

Garbage trucks have hydraulic arms to collect rubbish on the road. Image Credit: TikTok/Archoz_2025

'Just on my way to work. Look at this f****** mental way the Aussies do their bins,' he exclaimed in a video that captured locals' attention.

'Why has this not caught on in England?' he pondered aloud. 'Crazy.'

The video showcased a garbage truck equipped with hydraulic lifters.

The lifters picked up the rubbish bins and deposited the waste into the vehicle's compaction compartment.

This sight, while commonplace for Australians, was a revelation for the British newcomer and many others who saw the video.

A Sydney garbage collector praised the hydraulic lifters as a 'game changer' for rubbish collection.

'They really help a lot,' the collector said, which underscored the significance of this technology for their workplace.

Several commenters quickly chimed in with their thoughts.

'How does the rest of the world empty their bins? I thought this was normal,' one person
commented.

'We've had this for decades, mate,' another commenter wrote.

'We're innovative because we're lazy and didn't want to pick up the bins ourselves,' a third joked.

Hydraulic lifters on garbage trucks have revolutionised waste collection in Australia, making the chore more efficient and safe.

These mechanical arms effortlessly lift and empty bins without exposing rubbish collectors to waste.

The technology, which relied on hydraulic fluid pressure, could handle heavy bins with minimal effort.

The presence of hydraulic lifters in the Australian waste management sector began during the 1980s and 1990s.

This was a period when the world wanted to automate waste collection systems.

Before this innovation, waste collection was a strenuous manual task as workers physically hoisted and emptied bins.

The shift to hydraulic lifters in rubbish collection aimed to alleviate the physical burden on workers and to streamline the collection process, particularly in urban areas.

So why did this method not catch on in England?

The answer could lie in a combination of factors, including historical infrastructure, cost considerations, and the pace at which new technologies were adopted.

Each country's approach to waste management could evolve differently as it heavily depends on local needs, regulations, and innovations.

This story might bring back memories of how waste collection has changed over the years.

Key Takeaways

• A British expat in Australia was amazed by the country's use of hydraulic lifters for rubbish collection.
• A Sydney Garbo shared that the hydraulic lifters have been a 'game changer' for the industry.
• The online community responded with surprise and humour to the British expat's reaction.
• Hydraulic lifters have revolutionised the efficiency and safety of waste collection in Australia since their introduction in the 1980s.

Do you remember the days before wheelie bins and hydraulic arms? Perhaps you have witnessed a practice overseas that made you wonder why it hasn't been adopted back home. Share your stories and experiences with us in the comments below!

 

[Gaena]

I am sure those of us old enough to remember actually miss the "Garbo men", taking out the rubbish was definitely not so impersonal when we had those Guys who obviously had absolutely no sense of smell but would always take more rubbish than we were allowed to leave out and say Thank you when picking up their Christmas Gifts (Usually Beer) parked by the side of the over flowing rubbish bin. Life was simple back then.