A one-off free bin collection is planned by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.
New kerbside wheelie bins were delivered before the council introduced its new collection service, on July 1, but it was up to property owners and tenants to dispose of the old bins.
Property and infrastructure manager Peter Hansby said there was a "large portion'' of the community which had found creative uses for the old bins; however, many were still left on the streets.
Following the collection, the unwanted bins would be sent to Christchurch to be recycled.
Residents along the highways at Makarora were asked to put their old, empty bins, including unwanted council red-lidded bins, out by 7am on October 30.
In Kingston the collection would be from 7am on October 31 and in Glenorchy from 7am on November 1.
Residents in those two communities could also drop off their unwanted bins over Labour Weekend - the Kingston Greenwaste site and Glenorchy Recreation Ground would be open from 8am until 5pm from Saturday until Monday.
Wakatipu residents could put their old blue-lidded bins out by 7am on their usual collection day between November 4 and 8.
The bin take-back was not running in Wanaka because most people had repurposed the old recycling crates; however, Wastebusters could still accept them.
Mr Hansby said bins should be left out until they were collected.