Household waste collection will be made every two weeks

Almost half of all councils have already moved away from weekly collections on non-recyclable waste.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities said it appeared to be the only way to meet recycling targets.

By 2020 more than half of household waste will have to be recycled and taxes on landfill waste are set to double in two years' time.

Local authorities may be fined if they exceed their landfill allowance.

It is all right for two people and one grey bin but when you come to any more than that a two-weekly collection is not on Doris Sofio Milngavie Community Council Your council's recycling policy Have your say on recycling

The trend away from weekly collections is being driven by European directives and Scottish Executive targets on recycling.

East Dunbartonshire Council introduced a fortnightly service four months ago, sparking an outcry from many residents.

Council leader John Morrison said the local authority did not have a lot of choice.

He said: "If we did nothing then within two years we would have to ask the electorate in East Dunbartonshire to pay an extra 4% in council tax. That is untenable.

"Therefore we had to do something to improve the situation."

Desperate measures

Shirley Otle, from Bearsden, said that despite recycling glass, cans, cardboard, paper, plastic and garden waste, her bin was always overflowing at the end of two weeks.

She said: "It is the smell. We had a hot summer so it has been much worse. But even in this weather I had bluebottles round my bin."

Doris Sofio, chair of Milngavie Community Council, said people were resorting to desperate measures.

She said one man took rubbish from his neighbours to the dump in a trailer on the back of his car.

"It is all right for two people and one grey bin but when you come to any more than that a two-weekly collection is not on," she said.

So far 13 of Scotland's 32 local authorities have introduced fortnightly collections.