A NEW four-bin collection service is set to start in East Renfrewshire.

The service will be rolled out on Monday, October 3 to allow residents to recycle more waste at home by replacing the current bag and box collection system with bins which have a much greater capacity.

Most homes in the region will have received two new wheeled bins – a blue one for paper, cardboard and cartons, and a green bin for plastics, glass and cans.

East Renfrewshire Council's service change also means that non-recyclable waste will be uplifted once every three weeks.

The two new bins, along with residents’ grey bin for non-recyclable waste, will be collected on a three-weekly rotation.

There will be no change to the brown bin service with food and garden waste continuing to be collected each week.

However, brown bin collections will be limited to one bin per household from the first week in October.

Councillor Vincent Waters, convenor for Environment, said: "Most residents will now have received their new bins as we get set to roll out the improved service.

"By providing four bins it will vastly increase the amount of household waste which our residents are able to recycle.

"We are committed to making East Renfrewshire cleaner and greener, which this new service will undoubtedly do.

"It will also save the council money by reducing the amount we pay in landfill tax.

"I’m sure residents are ready to play their part in improving recycling rates throughout the area."

While the new bins are being rolled out, the bulky uplift service has been temporarily suspended and will start again on Wednesday, October 5.

The changes have been developed in direct response to feedback from residents about difficulties with the bag and box service and will lay the foundation for the council to meet the new national Charter for Household Recycling.

Last year East Renfrewshire recycled 56.8 per cent of all local household waste but 20,000 tonnes of waste still went to landfill.

It is estimated 15 per cent of this material could have been recycled.

To find out more information, visit www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/recycler