Bin changes:  This is why Fife changed its collection plans this week

Fife Council has confirmed that it is making changes to its food and waste collections from now until early March, meaning the brown bins will only be uplifted effectively once a month until the spring.

The alterations are nothing new, and have been the practice of the local authority for a number of years now in a bid to cut costs and divert resources elsewhere.

But many residents with a backlog of food and garden waste or bins full of fallen leaves have taken to social media to vent their anger at the move over the last few days.

Glenrothes resident James Dick said: “More rubbish discarded in the streets and back alleys.

“What about Fife Council giving a rebate on our community tax for reduced collections?”

While Ken Fraser was another one of several who called on the council’s brown bin collections to remain on a fortnightly basis.

“I always have garden waste – autumn produces much leaf fall and winter is when big items are discarded, like old shrubs and tree pruning takes place,” he argued.

“It seems to me any decision taken is not by a keen gardener and therefore doesn’t understand the implications of a reduced service.”

However, a number of people similarly took to Twitter and Facebook to defend the move, including local woman Sarah Lane.

“Can everyone stop moaning about this?” she said.

“It happens every year and if you don’t waste good and recycle properly it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Fife has so far resisted calls to introduce a charge for food and garden waste pick-ups, unlike the likes of Edinburgh City Council which has faced criticism for hiking its charges from £25 to £35.

A spokesperson for Fife Council said: “We’re making some changes to brown bin (food and garden waste) collections over winter.

“As in years gone by, the service will reduce to a four-weekly collection, returning to fortnightly collections from Monday March 7, 2022.

“We’ve updated the online bin calendars at www.fife.gov.uk/services/bin-calendar .”

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