Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) contractors have spent the past week picking up the piles left out the front of Tamworth homes, but the "high presentation rate" of waste being kicked to the curb has left them run off their feet.

A TRC spokeswoman said the sheer volume means the collection has been delayed by almost two days.

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By Monday afternoon, close to 185 tonnes of rubbish - almost 50 truck loads - had been taken to the tip, with more expected in the coming days.

That's not including any electronic waste or metal scraps, which are picked up separately.

It also doesn't take into account the salvageable items that might have been rescued from their grim fate and given a second life, by the team from Waste No More.

The council spokeswoman said mattresses and old furniture were among the most popular items that were presented for pick up.

The last collection for the year is continuing, and once Tamworth, Moonbi, Kootingal and Attunga have been covered, it will be Nundle, Manilla and Barraba's turn.

There's a list of bulky goods that aren't suitable for collection, and anything that has been 'rejected' by the crews needs to be disposed of properly by the owners.

And, council has warned people against illegal dumping, with fines on the line.

"Rangers follow up on the uncollected material approximately two weeks after a collection, to allow a grace period for residents to dispose of material correctly," the spokeswoman told the Leader.

"A letter is sent to the resident of the property along with an information flyer for how to dispose of items that aren't included in the collection."

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