People are being asked to show patience when changes to waste collections come into place next week.

The Oxford Mail reported last month that Oxford City Council planned a shake-up of the current complicated and inefficient collection rounds. From Monday, the changes will see household waste collected at the same time as green recycling boxes, while garden waste will be collected at the same time as blue recycling boxes.

Households throughout Oxford should have already received letters from the city council informing them of the changes to the collection and the days waste will now be picked up.

City councillor John Tanner, executive member for a cleaner city and the man overseeing Oxford's waste collection service, said: "People are really getting into recycling and have got used to one system.

"But we are certain this is the right thing to do."

Mr Tanner apologised to residents for any confusion caused by the dates in the letters that was sent out.

He said: "We did all the dates in the American style dating system, which put the month before the day, so I'm sorry if there has been any confusion.

"I think that is the only mistake, and we hope there won't be too many other problems in the first few weeks of this new system."

He added: "By Christmas I'm sure it will be easier and we will be used to it by then. We just ask for a bit of patience getting used to it."

Fortnightly waste collections were first introduced in Oxford in November 2006, with general household waste collected one week and recyclable material the next.

Mr Tanner said the new system would put Oxford in a better position for when new waste collection services — including food waste — came into place in the future.

He said: "The important thing is that we are saving taxpayers' money by cutting out a whole crew and lorry and stopping unnecessary journeys across the city, reducing CO2 emissions.

"This is all about getting rid of the stupidities of the current system."

It is estimated the removal of one refuse lorry from collection rounds will save the council £150,000 a year.

No jobs will be lost.