Plans to reduce non-recyclable bin collections across Aberdeenshire to every three weeks could be approved next week.
The move forms part of a proposed shake-up of kerbside collections across the region in a bid to boost recycling rates.
The plans would also save in the region of £92,000 and £156,000 in operational costs a year.
Officers have proposed the council collects non-recyclable waste every three weeks along with a weekly collection of food waste.
Paper and card would be collected every three weeks and metals, cartons and plastic items would also be picked up once every three weeks.
Currently collections are every two weeks.
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Another option which the council had considered, but does not want to adopt, was a weekly collection of food waste but a fortnightly collection of non- recyclable waste.
Under this option, there would be a four-weekly collection of paper and card and a four-weekly collection of metals, cartons and plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays.
More people preferred a fortnightly collection in a recent public consultation (49%) compared to 39% for the three-weekly option.
But a report to members of the local authority’s infrastructure services committee said the three-week collection would encourage more recycling and collections of recyclable materials (two out of three weeks).
It also has the potential to divert an extra 1,600-2,400 tonnes of material from landfill compared to the fortnightly option.
Evidence shows an average Aberdeenshire household would be able to manage with the amount of non-recyclable waste capacity, according to the report, if they used available recycling services.
It added: “The waste analysis undertaken in 2016-17 showed that well over half the material put into an average non-recyclable waste bin is actually recyclable using the existing recycling services.”
Officers also said experience from other Scottish local authorities, such as East Ayrshire, Moray and North Lanarkshire, has shown the proposals are workable and can lead to a “significant increase” in recycling.
Members of the committee will be asked to approve the move when they meet on Thursday.