Chrismas and New Year's Day fall on a Friday this year so Friday collections will be uplifted instead on Thurdays 24 and 31 December - bins should be at the kerbside by 6.30am.

East Ayrshire Council also have extra seasonal arrangements for all households:

* Excess paper and cardboard stored in blue EAC sacks and placed beside your blue bin will be collected, as will larger flat packed cardboard.

* From Monday 28 December 2009 until Friday 8 January 2010 excess cans presented in a sack alongside your black box will be uplifted.

* Christmas trees cut into lengths of no more than 4ft will be collected alongside the brown bins during January, alternatively, trees can be taken to recycling centres.

* Up to three additional refuse sacks will be uplifted per household on the first two waste collections following Christmas Day. Place alongside your bin at the kerbside.

* EAC collection sacks are available from Cleansing Services or from your Local Office (within the Stewarton Area Centre).

Special Uplifts

To ensure a pre-Christmas collection, special uplifts must be requested before Tuesday 22 December 2009. The special uplifts service will resume on Tuesday 5 January 2010.

Recycling Centre

Western Road Kilmarnock will close at 3pm on Thursday 24 December and on Thursday 31 December and re-open at 10am on Sunday 27 December and Sunday 3 January.

Normal opening hours will operate from Monday 28 until Wednesday 30 December.

Local recycling points (Sainsbury's carpark) can be accessed at any time throughout the festive period.

For further information visit the EAC website or call 01563 554033.