While Sussex householders are threatened with having weekly rubbish collections reduced to fortnightly ones (The Argus, May 4), residents of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific are more fortunate.

They are being subsidised by British taxpayers. The dustbin rounds on these South American islands, which take place every night, are financed by the European Union, to whom the UK pays £10.5 billion annually.

The EU says tourism on the Galapagos has increased dramatically, with many visitors coming from Europe, and it claims the EU is helping to set up an "integrated waste management system".

The Galapagos Islands charge tourists a £50 fee before they leave the airport as a payment for entering the national parks.

With so much money coming in from tourists, these islands should be able to pay for their own daily rubbish collections, leaving the EU with a little more money to enable UK residents to have at least a weekly collection.

  • R L Jones, West Avenue, Worthing