RESIDENTS will have to wait longer to have their green wheelie bins emptied.

From April 1, East Lothian Council will collect the green bins – used for non-recyclable household waste – once every three weeks instead of fortnightly.

The local authority said the change reflected the focus on increased recycling – and stressed that a weekly recycling service would continue to operate throughout the county.

Earlier this week, the Courier confirmed that a £35 annual charge would be introduced for garden waste (brown bin) uplifts.

READ MORE: East Lothian Council brown bins: £35 annual charge confirmed

Applications for householders to purchase a permit for fortnightly brown bin collections open on April 1 with the new service starting from July.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, leader of the local authority, said: “These changes were put forward as part of the Council’s budget proposals last year and duly approved.

“East Lothian Council provides a weekly household recycling collection service for a wide range of materials including glass, plastics, paper, cardboard and food waste and we became signatories to the Scottish Government’s Household Waste Charter in December 2016.

“As part of our commitment, we have already introduced a charter-aligned single weekly service for source separated recycling and food waste.

READ MORE: New bin charges for developers in East Lothian

“The next stage in the journey is to implement the charter’s recommendations that a maximum capacity of 80 litres per week is provided for non-recyclable waste.

“The changes to the frequency of the non-recyclable waste collection service will fulfil this and enable us to make further progress towards the Council Plan’s aim to contribute to Scotland’s 70 per cent recycling target by 2025 and further support the ambitions of the Council’s Climate Change Strategy."

The amount of waste East Lothian is now collecting for recycling continued to increase and had greatly reduced the amount of waste sent for disposal, he added.

“I would like to extend my thanks to our local residents for their significant use of recycling opportunities which is one of the highest achieved in Scotland," said the council leader.

READ MORE: East Lothian recycling rates among the best in Scotland

“Collection of garden waste is not a statutory service and local authorities have no obligation to collect this.

“I’m aware of some councils removing this collection completely and others running an optional paid service for a number of years.

“East Lothian Council has maintained a free service that is only used by around 50 per cent of households across the county but current financial pressures mean we have decided to introduce a paid scheme later this year.

“Further details about how to apply for a permit will be issued in due course and the new calendars for collection dates for green bins will be issued to all properties shortly.”