Fife Council begins monthly bin collection trial in UK first Published duration 22 September 2015

Fife Council is beginning once-a-month bin collections, making it the first local authority in the UK to operate such a scheme.

The trial, which runs for nine months, will see recycling bins emptied more often and landfill bins less often.

The council hopes it will boost recycling rates.

Despite Fife having above average recycling rates, the council believes half of the rubbish in blue landfill bins could be recycled.

With landfill costs for the local authority at £10m a year, the four-bin system is to change.

The pilot scheme will see 2,000 houses have waste collected every four weeks, with another 2,000 having general rubbish picked up every three weeks.

Medical waste

The towns involved are Glenrothes, Markinch, Coaltown of Balgonie and Thornton and Stenton.

Households producing medical waste, those with children in nappies, or larger families, will be able to request bigger blue bins.

Ken Gourlay, Fife Council's transportation and environment head of assets, said: "People across Fife have been telling us they want plastics and cans collected more often, so our trials are responding to this.

"In a doorstep survey we found over 66% of green bins were full or overly full at collection time.

"So, on one trial route we'll empty them every three weeks, and on the other route we'll empty them fortnightly.

"This is a pilot to get more information so that we can meet the needs of local people, develop a cleaner, greener Fife as well as reduce our waste disposal costs.

"If we fail to increase recycling rates in Fife, then we are throwing money away."