Major changes to bin collections being proposed by Greenwich Council are set to be voted on next week, the authority has announced.

Among the major changes, which will impact all residents living in homes outside of communal flats, are that black general waste bins will only be emptied fortnightly, while extra rubbish bags left next to bins won’t be collected at all.

The proposals have been shaped by an unprecedented response to a consultation run by the council earlier this year, which saw 4,000 replies forwarded, as part of a bid by the authority to increase recycling rates and cut costs.

The suggested changes relate to homes and converted flats that have individual wheelie bins. Blocks of flats with communal bins or flats with nowhere to store wheelie bins would not be affected.

The six proposals to be discussed by the cabinet are:

The recycling blue top and garden/food green top wheelie bins (240L) would still be collected every week.

General waste black top wheelie bins (240L) would be collected every two weeks.

Any recycling and garden/food waste bins that have the wrong items in them would not be collected.

Additional bags of rubbish left by the side of wheelie bins would not be collected.

Garden waste collections would remain free of charge.

Only providing clear sacks to properties which cannot store a recycling wheelie bin.

According to the council, 62 per cent of respondents said that “fortnightly general waste collections would either have no impact on them or it would have little impact on them”.

Council leader Danny Thorpe said the changes would also cut waste collection costs, taking aim at Government funding cuts in the process.

“Due to a decade of Government-imposed austerity, we have less money to fund good quality, universal public services,” he said.

“The fact is, the Government has taken away more than £1,400 per household in Greenwich over a 10 year period, and we are now forced to confront that reality. Cuts have consequences and this is the reality of the stark choices councillors face.”

Cllr Sizwe James, the cabinet member for environment, sustainability and transport said the consultation helped shape “some really positive and forward-thinking proposals”.

Greenwich cabinet will discuss the proposals at their September 16 meeting.