BIN collections and recycling services will be redesigned to cut council costs.

Cheshire East Council wants to streamline services so they are delivered more efficiently.

The authority hopes that by transforming waste and recycling services, it will save up to £250,000 in 2010/2011 and a further £1 million in 2011/12.

Fortnightly bin collections were introduced in Crewe and Nantwich, Congleton and Macclesfield last year, bringing services across the three former borough council areas into line with each other.

But there are differences over which recyclable materials are collected and what vehicles are used to collect waste.

Consultants have been brought in to identify ways to reduce costs and their findings will be discussed by the council's environment and prosperity committee on Tuesday.

The council wants to:

Collect household waste fortnightly in bins or sacks;

Provide bins for garden waste free of charge;

Replace specialist collection vehicles with standard lorries which can carry different amounts of waste.

Congleton's recycling rate for 2008/09 was 49 per cent, while the rate in Crewe and Nantwich was 40 per cent, and 46 per cent in Macclesfield. The figure for the whole of Cheshire East for 2009/10 is 49 per cent.

The report states: "There remain a number of significant differences to the way in which services are operated across Cheshire East.

"They are performing well but there is considerable scope to harmonise the services provided.

"New services will provide greater value for money and improve the public's perception of waste and recycling services."

Councillor David Brickhill, the former portfolio holder for environmental services, pictured, said: "There are considerable savings to be made. It just means residents will have to change to the new system Cheshire East eventually adopts.

"Costs can be reduced in various ways. One way is to keep the number of pick-ups down. In Crewe, there are four vehicles but we would like to get it down to three."

Martin Price, aged 43, from Sandbach, said: "Reviewing the bin collections can't do any harm. I think there is definitely room for improvement."