No decision has been made on whether Fife will become the first local authority in the UK to launch monthly bin collections, councillors have insisted.
Despite indications that recycling is up and there has been no rise in fly-tipping during the first seven months of a trial in the Glenrothes area, it is not yet certain that the scheme to empty blue landfill bins every four weeks instead of every fortnight will roll out across the region.
Members of Glenrothes area committee heard that the pilot involving 4,000 households in Markinch, Coaltown of Balgonie, Thornton and Stenton has resulted in an increase in the recycling of paper, cardboard, plastic and cans.
During the same period, the amount of rubbish going to landfill has fallen.
If this is replicated across Fife it could see the council’s £10 million landfill tax bill slashed.
Councillors heard however that the trial is to run for a further five months and all the data will then be assessed before a final decision is made.
Committee member Altany Craik said the topic should be approached with caution.
“We’re trying to increase recycling and reduce landfill, I get it,” he said.
“But we have to ensure people understand what it means for them.”
He added: “We’re trying this out to find out if it actually delivers what we want and make sure there is no increase in fly tipping and people going to the dump.
“We are in the process of finding out, using an evidence-based approach, what might work.”
Environmental strategy officer Stephanie Newstead told the committee that the council was three quarters of the way through a survey of 400 households taking part in the trial to ascertain their opinions.
She assured councillors that 400 would be the minimum number of people surveyed and added: “We hope to finish that in the next week or two.
“It’s ongoing but the general trend of recycling increasing and the amount going to landfill decreasing is continuing.
“We are continuing to monitor other areas of the trials, things like contaminants and bins with lids raised and we are not identifying any areas of concerns.”