WE'VE often been nudged to the verge of despair by the fact that the good folk of Worcester appear to find it hard to be publicly passionate about their city.

Frustratingly, Joe Glovemaker and Family rarely stand up and make a big noise.

Today, though, it's time to pay tribute to the silent side of Faithful City life for - almost unnoticed - the population has taken to Worcester's new recycling scheme with something akin to relish.

In three, short months, kerbside collections have taken off so well that the 1,000-tonne barrier has been broken already, a month earlier than predicted.

Despite initial teething problems, like a shortage of bags, householders have grasped the "importance and ease" of the scheme, according to Mike Harrison, the city's head of operational services.

Importance and ease. They're the key.

The only note of concern is that residents in Warndon, Tolladine and Warndon Villages have been slow to join the drive.

The challenge to them is to show they care about the world as much as the rest of the city.

All it requires is to separate different kinds of recyclable rubbish into different coloured bags, then wait for them to be picked up according to a pre-determined timetable.

It's no secret that the quality of the environment will be a real measure of quality of life.

Our message today echoes Mike Harrison's - well done... but let's do better!