PLANS to increase refuse collections across Glasgow could be trialled in a bid to combat overflowing bins and rat infestations.

City chiefs are currently overseeing a £6.5 million scheme to scrap old metal dustbins and replace them with new wheelie bins at homes across the city.

But after the first phase was rolled out across the north west of Glasgow, the two-week collection cycles for general waste were found to be causing problems with litter overflow.

Already 3817 green general waste bins and 3789 blue recycling bins have been given to households.

And ahead of the roll-out across the north east and some more areas of the north west, the council is preparing to pilot an eight-day collection cycle for general waste and a 16-day cycle for recycling.

Franny Scally, who sits on Glasgow’s environment committee, said: “This is good news.

“Some people when they see the recycling bin, it’s full and they just decide to discard it into the general waste.”

Officers admitted that during the two-week collection cycles many general waste bins had been found overflowing while the recycling bins were less than half full.

A report by Glasgow City Council’s executive director of neighbourhoods and sustainability, George Gillespie, found that recycling bins were “not being used by residents as much as they should” and many were found to be contaminated.

But it also showed that the number of rat infestations was falling after partnership work between bin scheme leaders and pest controllers in the city.

Local authority bosses hope that educating the public on recycling will help decrease the frequency of general waste collections to 12 days in future.

Mr Gillespie said: “Glasgow has around 46,000 small metal dustbins in backcourts or common bin areas of flatted properties.

“These bins are no longer fit for purpose and are often in poor condition, which can lead to the spread of litter in backcourts, encouraging vermin and creating health and safety issues for both residents and cleansing operatives.

“The bin replacement programme seeks to address these issues and will remove small dustbins in 145,000 tenements and flatted properties in the city and replace them with modern general waste and recycling wheeled bins.”

Phase two is expected to be completed by the spring next year, with phase three, set to be rolled-out across the Southside, is expected to be finished by March 2020.