WEEKLY domestic rubbish bin collections could be scrapped in East Lothian under proposals being considered by the local authority.

East Lothian Council says a document on options for waste collection in the county is being prepared - which will consider how often rubbish is picked up.

Councillor Willie Innes (Lab), council leader, told a meeting that a "number of different collection regimes" were being looked at.

"Some of them [do not include] a general waste collection once a week," he added.

While one county group says a potential move to fortnightly green bin collections could boost residents' recycling habits, other community groups fear it could present "a serious problem" for residents.

And one employee claimed: "It won't work." Similar changes have already been made across Scotland - including in Edinburgh.

An East Lothian Council spokesman said: "The Scottish Government's legislation and policy relating to the Zero Waste Strategy directs the council to shape its domestic and trade waste collection systems to achieve higher recycling figures and reduce the amount of waste produced.

"One of the immediate drivers is a requirement to provide a dedicated food waste collection service.

"To expedite this and look at other issues, an options document is being prepared on waste management strategy, addressing such issues as the types of materials collected, and the method and the frequency of collections.

"This will allow the council to make an informed judgement on the best collection options within the resources currently available.

"Our current position is that we collect 100 tonnes of mixed domestic waste per working day through our weekly wheeled-bin service and 23.3 tonnes of recycling material from our fortnightly kerbside co-mingled and garden waste service.

"The remainder of waste collected and recycled comes from our community recycling centres, bring sites and trade waste service." When quizzed on his commitment to "modernise waste collection services" at a meeting of the council's audit and governance committee, Mr Innes said: "Obviously the collection of food waste is going to be a requirement of the Scottish Government.

"Officers are currently exploring different options that are available to us and these options include a number of different collection regimes.

"Some of them are not always a general waste collection once a week." But one waste collection employee, who asked not to be named, told the Courier: "It won't work. There will be too much refuse and build-up. It's all about cutting costs.

"They will trial it in an area like Gullane or North Berwick where they recycle more and it will have little effect." Eleven frontline routes cover domestic rubbish collections on a daily basis, requiring 31 staff, with the current budget to provide collections standing at �2.34 million per annum for 45,200 properties.

The county's recycling rate for this year stands at 43.3 per cent.

The Labour Group on East Lothian Council has backed re-introducing free special uplifts for bulky items, scrapped under the previous SNP/Lib Dem administration.

Councillor Paul McLennan, leader of the opposition SNP Group, told the Courier: "I think it'd be a major inconvenience for people if it goes to fortnightly.

"It seems daft they're willing to spend �600,000 on free special uplifts - I think people would prefer to see their bins collected every week than free special uplifts.

"I totally support the legislation around food waste, but other authorities have gone down the food waste route - because every council has to - and are still having their weekly bin collections." Jan Wilson, chair of Haddington Community Council, said: "From a personal point of view, it's not a problem because there are only two of us in the house, but certainly I think for a family, especially of three or four, it could be a serious problem." Penny Short, chair of Garvald and Morham Community Council, said people in her area would be a "wee bit dismayed" to hear the proposal.

Julie Hayward, of Goosegreen Tenants' and Residents' Association in Musselburgh, said: "We would definitely, as an area, be concerned about it." While Margaret Davidson, chair of Well Wynd Housing Tenants' Group in Tranent, told the Courier: "If they weren't lifting [the bins] as regularly, everything would be overflowing.

"I don't know how they would get around that situation." Susan Guy, project co-ordinator of eco group Sustaining Dunbar, said: "So long as all the barriers were reduced to make it easier for people to recycle, then they would recycle - whether or not they were to scrap the weekly bin collections.

"Scrapping the weekly bin collections is probably going to have an effect on people's behaviour and that may be good or bad. It could be really bad if recycling systems were not in place; it could be really good if all recycling systems were sound.

"The biggest concern would be fly-tipping." In September, City of Edinburgh Council followed the likes of Midlothian Council and others in introducing fortnightly bin collections, as part of its efforts to increase recycling. However, it has led to complaints from some residents that rubbish had been left uncollected for weeks with bins overflowing.

The options document could be ready ahead of the setting of the council's yearly budget in February.