From next year, residents will be given free kitchen caddies in which to put their food waste.

An optional charged fortnightly green garden and cardboard collection service will also be launched.

When the new services are introduced, main bin collections will be every two weeks, as greater recycling is expected to make weekly collections unnecessary.

The scheme will be rolled out in phases to 150,000 households to begin.

Tax savings

They will also be given a larger lockable bin to put out alongside their recycling box on their recycling day.

Further consultation will take place with residents who live in flats or terraces with limited storage.

Councillor Gary Hopkins, Executive member for Sustainable Environment and Neighbourhoods said: "Since June, the recycling rate has risen by a staggering 50%, saving us millions of pounds in landfill taxes.

"This positive response has given us the confidence to expand our collections to include food waste, garden waste and cardboard."

At the moment, food, garden and cardboard waste is sent away for recycling into compost, but the council is looking at developing local facilities.