It started with a flurry of complaints, but Napier's new recycling programme is already credited with lessening the amount of waste going to landfill.
On the first day of the new programme in November, the contents of three plastic crates were due to be picked up from 24,436 addresses.
Two streets were overlooked, leading to criticism.
Residents also criticised the rule that crates not be filled high over the rim. Just how high is too high is at the discretion of staff picking up the crates, but over the festive season the sight of precariously-stacked cardboard and bottles was not unusual.
The company collecting Napier recycling, now a weekly service instead of fortnightly, is Auckland-based Smart Environmental. The company operates in more than a dozen New Zealand centres including Waipukurau and Wairoa. For its Napier contract, Smart Environmental's depot is in the Hastings suburb of Whakatu.