Everyone’s wheelie bins will be emptied one day later than normal this Christmas and New Year as changes to the kerbside collection service are rolled out.

Public confusion over when bins should be put out if a collection day falls on certain public holidays has prompted changes to the existing arrangements.

Collections will continue as normal on all public holidays except for New Year’s Day, Easter Good Friday, Anzac Day and Christmas Day.

Your wheelie bins will be collected a day later than normal over the Christmas/New Year period.

On those public holidays wheelie bins will be emptied the day following the normal collection day.

“As Christmas and New Year’s Day fall on a Monday this year, this means the Monday collection will move to Tuesday, the Tuesday collection will move to Wednesday, the Wednesday collection will move to Thursday, the Thursday collection will move to Friday, and the Friday collection will move to Saturday,’’ says Christchurch City Council Solid Waste Manager Ross Trotter.

“The past arrangements where some collection days were moved to the Saturday before the normal collection day and others moved to the Saturday after, caused some confusion and frustration for many of our residents,’’ says Mr Trotter.

“Customer surveys, including a recent online poll, showed most customers wanted us to change how we collected on public holidays.

“The feedback we had showed people would prefer it if we collected their rubbish the day immediately following the public holiday, even though it would mean pushing out everybody else’s collection day that week by a day.’'

This has proven to be effective for other Councils throughout New Zealand.

A month long advertising campaign is under way to inform people of the change.

“As previously if you are planning on being away over this Christmas period please make arrangements with your friends or neighbours for your wheelie bins to be collected and bought back onto your property,’’ Mr Trotter says.

* To keep track of when your wheelie bin needs to go out, download the free wheelie bins app at the Apple AppStore or on GooglePlay.