Michelle de Ron was among those ready for the Christmas pick-up

Some Cairns residents couldn’t wait for the Christmas bin pick-up this year after seafood and meat were left marinating outside in the summer sun. BIN DAY INFO

SOME Cairns residents couldn’t wait for the Christmas bin pick-up this year after seafood and meat were left marinating outside in the summer sun.

Thankfully, Cairns Regional Council bin collection has continued as normal throughout the festive season.

Michelle de Ron from Manunda got creative this year and realised that masks were useful for more things than just Covid.

The menu this year included lots of seafood which after days in the Far North humidity, can have a quite distinct smell.

“I was definitely ready for the bins to come,” she said.

The pungent aroma of prawn heads and meat scraps has been filling the warm, humid air on roadsides around Cairns this week, after the excesses of Christmas Day have passed and the smelliest bin day of the year approaches. Michelle de Ron took some extra precautions while throwing out a bag full of old prawns, seafood and oyster shells into the kerbside collection in front of her house on Little Street, Manunda. Picture: Brendan Radke

“Both bins were full. Even the recycling bin from Christmas wrapping and plastic bottles.

“When the kids are on school holidays, you tend to have more rubbish because you are home.”

But Ms de Ron said it wasn’t only her bin that was full from Christmas.

“I do notice the bins around the street looking a bit rancid,” she said.

“On Christmas Day we always get that nice wafting from the bins.”

Ms de Ron said her Christmas gifts this year added to the unpleasant aroma.

“One of my gifts for Christmas was 2kg of prawns and oysters,” she said.

Residents are reminded to put their bins out before 6am on collection day, including public holidays.

“Is your bin day a public holiday? No problem, we will collect as usual,” the council says.

Monday, January 3, is a public holiday across Queensland in leiu of New Year’s Day on Saturday.

Originally published as Michelle de Ron was among those ready for the Christmas pick-up