But the question of how best to improve Canberra's waste disposal continues to vex our community.

Some 12 years ago, the ambitious No Waste by 2010 management strategy was developed with the aim of eliminating all waste from ACT landfill.

Clearly there have been inroads. Improved collection and recycling strategies at waste-management centres have resulted in the level of recycled material generated from landfill rising from 22 per cent in 1994 to 75 per cent.

But still we see prevarication on what appear to be simple solutions to improving this result.

This time a year ago, the ACT Government pledged to introduce an annual hard-rubbish collection day within a year, but Canberrans have yet to see even a trial collection get the go-ahead.

In the meantime, more and more charity groups are burdened by items dumped at their collection bins. The dumping is particularly prevalent at this time of year, with the post-Christmas clean-out. About 10 per cent more rubbish and recyclables are generated than at any other time of the year. The Salvation Army has said in earlier reports it would take until next month to sort through all the items left outside its stores. The dumping also created fire hazards, as was experienced in a Queanbeyan Salvation Army store. Nationally, the Salvos estimate it will cost $6 million to remove items dumped outside its stores $6 million that would otherwise go into its programs.

It would also appear, anecdotally, that the number of household items left on suburban kerbsides in the hope that someone will find use for them is growing.

Not to mention illicit tips in bushland.

The cost of cleaning up such illegal dumping must surely be weighed against the cost of setting up a free collection system targeted to ''problem'' times of the year.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times