Fife to become first to introduce four weekly bin collections

FIFE Council is set to become the first in Britain to introduce FOUR-WEEKLY bin collections to all homes.

Fife will be the first in Britain to operate four weekly bin collections. Picture: JP

It has been trialling the move in the Glenrothes area since September 2015 and says it hasn’t received a single official complaint from residents.

One local councillor, Ross Vettraino (SNP) said a policy change across the authority was “irresistible”.

So far the council says it has seen a significant increase in recycling rates and a cut in the amount of rubbish being buried underground.

No other British council has yet moved to four-weekly collections for non-recyclable or landfill waste.

Last month Conwy, north Wales, voted out plans to introduce four-weekly collections, although it did agree to pilot four-weekly pick-ups in one area of the county.

Fife is half way through nine-month trials of four-weekly collections and will survey residents when it ends in June.

Councillors believe that a negative survey is the only possible block to rolling out the four-weekly collections to all 170,000 homes.

They were told that a controversial trial had seen a significant increase in recycling rates and a cut in the amount of rubbish being buried underground.

Representatives were told that the two trials in the Glenrothes area, one which has seen the UK’s first ever four-weekly collection of landfill waste, had generated no official complaints from residents as Fife Council looks to make significant cuts to its waste management budget.

The update was given at the halfway point in the nine-month trial, however, its apparent success means that unless compelling reasons not to emerge from a planned public survey in the summer, changes to bin collections in Fife are inevitable.

Councillor Ross Vettraino, whose ward is included in the trial, said that there appeared to be little reason to not introduce the changes Fife-wide upon its conclusion.

“The impression I have been given is that the trial is going very well and is having the desired effect” he said.

“This is probably the most complicated change in service that Fife Council has ever undertaken and I cannot compliment the staff enough for their work.

“Fife is always leading the way when it comes to recycling and it would appear to me that a policy change is irresistible.”

Around 4,000 households are currently participating in the two trials.

Thornton and Stenton residents have their blue landfill bins

collected every four weeks instead of every fortnight, while the green bins for recycling plastics and cans are collected every fortnight instead of every four weeks.

In Markinch and Coaltown of Balgonie, blue and green bins are emptied every three weeks.

Figures produced by the council suggest that the number of bins presented for collection since the trial started has increased by up to 12 per cent where monthly landfill collection is taking place.

Households taking part in the trial will be surveyed upon its completion in June in a bid to accurately gauge the public response.

Unless the findings are highly critical, it is likely that revised bin collections will be rolled out across Fife.

Fife Council officer Sandy Anderson said: “There will be a survey which will be conducted both online and face-to-face.

“We want to obtain feedback in the most direct manner possible.”

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