With so much going on over the festive period, it can be difficult to remember when you need to put your bins out.

There will be no black or silver bin collections on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year's Day this year.

So, anyone whose bins were scheduled for collection on those days will have to remember these new dates instead.

Christmas Day (Wednesday, December 25)

• Black bin – Monday, December 23
• Silver bin – Tuesday, December 24

Boxing Day (Thursday, December 26)

• Black bin – Monday, December 30
• Silver bin – Tuesday, December 31

New Year's Day (Wednesday, January 1)

• Black bin - Thursday, January 2
• Silver bin - Monday, January 6

Councillor Mick Warren, chair of Cheshire East Council's environment and communities committee, said: "The changes to collections over the festive season will not affect all residents – they will only affect households that have their recycling (silver bin) or residual waste (black bin) collected on a Wednesday or Thursday. 

"Some collections will be brought forward, and others pushed back, depending on people's normal bin collection day. 

"In previous years, we have added stickers to people's bin lids letting them know about the changes.

"However, this does of course cost money and given the council's significant financial challenges, we have decided not to share the information in this way this year.

"Instead, as we usually do, information can be found on our website and our online bin collection calendar has been updated with the rescheduled collections. 

"I encourage people who may have relatives, friends or neighbours without access to the internet to check this information for them, so they don't miss out on any collections. 

"Finally, I'd like to thank our waste colleagues, who will be continuing to deliver essential frontline services over the festive period."

As a reminder, bins should be left by the road outside your property by 6.30am on the day of collection and be brought back in as soon as possible after they have been emptied.

With all the presents and extra food over the holidays, it is important to remember that the council won't collect any rubbish that can't fit inside the bin.

Additional waste or recycling should either be kept until the next bin collection or taken to a household waste recycling centre.

The Crewe, Alsager, Knutsford and Alsager centres will remain open over the festive season.

However, they will be shut on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and close at 1pm on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

You can also arrange for a bulky or large item collection, further details of which can be found on the Cheshire East Council website.

Meanwhile, garden waste collections for subscribers to the council's Garden Waste Recycling Scheme will finish this Friday, December 20.

The collections will then restart from the week commencing Monday, January 20.