PLANS to change some fortnightly bin collections to once every three weeks have sparked an angry response.

Renfrewshire Council want to make less frequent collections of grey bins, which are for general waste.

It is part of a shake-up which aims to make sure the local authority plays its part in achieving Scotland’s ‘zero waste’ plan.

There are also plans to ask residents to split recyclable waste into two bins.

This would mean paper and card going in one bin and plastics, cans and glass in another, rather than the current set up of one blue bin for all of these items.

These recycling bins would then be collected on alternate fortnights

However, the proposals have been slammed by Johnstone South and Elderslie councillor John Hood.

He said: “The bins are hard enough to keep hygienic with the two-week collection. By extending this, the risk of stench and animal interference is increased.

“My constituents are telling me they are fed up with the number of bins they are having to cope with just now, as many households only had space for one bin in the original design.”

If approved, the new measures would be in place by autumn 2018.

Councillor Cathy McEwan, convener of Renfrewshire’s Infrastructure, Land and Environment Policy Board, said: “We are committed to delivering on national targets for waste management and recycling and these proposals set out the actions we can take to ensure we continue to make vital progress.

“It is essential that we adopt a new approach and improve both the quantity and quality of recycling in Renfrewshire, not just because of national targets or because it is more cost-effective, but because it is the right thing to do.

“We recognise these proposals will bring change to the doorsteps of Renfrewshire residents and that’s why it is vital that we lead a public awareness campaign to ensure people understand the changes.”