Dubbo City Council's annual clean-up hits town tomorrow and residents initiated in the sport of 'take your pick, but be quick' are already flexing their muscles.

Locals report items disappearing overnight after being deposited out the front for collection.

"You have to keep an eye out," said one resident who uses her late afternoon walks to scour the neighbourhood.

A swing around Dubbo yesterday revealed piles of green waste and other goods including a refrigerator, microwaves, televisions, mattresses, lounge chairs, computer screens, wire and building materials.

But the best may be yet to come if urban residents follow the example set by their rural counterparts.

Council's asset systems engineer Mike McCulloch said 85 tonnes of rubbish had been collected from the rural zone.

"This year's rural zone collection of green waste and whitegoods was significantly higher than the 2004 collection," he said.

Mr McCulloch also advised Country Energy was busily trimming trees in the city.

"This is the first time that the council and Country Energy have run these programs concurrently and was timed together to minimise interruption and inconvenience to residents," he said.

"It is important that the green waste that Country Energy leaves is kept separate from the annual kerbside clean-up rubbish, allowing for as much of the vegetation trimmings to be chipped and reused as mulch."

Residents in east Dubbo, between the main western railway line and Cobbora Road, where garbage bins are collected on Monday mornings, should put unwanted items out by tomorrow.

The remaining three urban zones in the city will be serviced by September 18.

The council will collect free of charge one level box trailer load or one cubic metre of garbage per residence.

Green waste should be tied into bundles with string or rope and whitegoods placed in a separate heap.

Loose garbage is best contained in boxes or bags while hazardous waste and liquids will not be collected.