SEPARATE recycling bins could be introduced in Blackburn with Darwen against residents’ wishes, councillors were warned.

And recycling levels in the borough have fallen to about 30 per cent, head of environment Tony Watson said.

The council is in the process of going out to tender on its waste collection and recycling services and bosses hope to keep services as they are now.

But Mr Watson said the Government was keen to see the same system used by local authorities across the country and that could mean extra bins being introduced.

Cllr Vicky McGurk, chairing the place overview and scrutiny committee meeting, said residents would see it as a negative if they were having to deal with more bins.

Stuart Hammond, the council’s waste and recycling manager, said the general feeling was that the council did not want to move to a twin bin recycling system where people have a separate bin for card and paper.

But Mr Watson warned it might be taken out of the council’s hands.

He said: “We may be driven that way by the Government in terms of the waste strategy because they want everyone to have the same type of waste collection.

“If we have to go down that avenue, it’s wise of us to include it in our tender process to prevent us having to pay an arm and a leg to change the service model.

“Whether or not residents like it, it could be something we have no control over.”

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Mr Watson added a waste board had been set up to improve recycling rates.

He said: “One of the problems is we have reduced staffing since 2010 and two people covering about £6million of budget.

“The council has recognised there is an issue with recycling. and the waste program board meets every six weeks to review information and try and create improvements.”

Bosses are looking to offer an eight-year contract for recycling services with the current deal ending in March 2020.

Currently recyclable waste is all put into one grey bin but last year councillors discussed returning to a system with multiple bins. It could mean a move from a three-bin regime to four bins each - with one for garden waste, one for paper and card, one for plastic and glass and one for general waste.