Port Macquarie-Hastings Council is urging people only to visit the area's waste facilities when absolutely essential.

Otherwise, the council's advice is to hold onto your unwanted items for the time being.

An influx of residents turning up at waste facilities has resulted in long wait times, while social distancing measures amid the coronavirus pandemic make it difficult to provide a speedy service.

Group manager Ashley Grummitt said the council understands that while we're required to stay at home, people are taking the opportunity to declutter.

"This has meant that we've had long queues at our waste transfer facilities as we try to manage traffic flow and implement required social distancing measures," he said.

"We're really seeking the community's support in only visiting our waste facilities where it is absolutely essential, so that council can continue to provide these services to the community in a safe and efficient way, particularly for those residents that don't have a kerbside waste service."

The sheer volume of waste also poses problems for trucks to keep up with transferring the waste to Cairncross Waste Management Facility.

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