The City of Ottawa is gathering public feedback on a plan to reduce garbage collection to once every two weeks in an effort to boost the city's green bin and recycling programs.

The proposed plan would collect green bin waste and recycling in urban neighbourhoods every week, making garbage pick-up a bi-weekly service.

Recyclables would also no longer be separated into two bins. Rather, paper and plastic would go into one bin and be collected together.

Rural areas that do not currently have composting would get either weekly or bi-weekly green bin pick-up. When the green bin is collected on a weekly basis, garbage would be collected bi-weekly in those areas. The plan also calls for recycling in rural areas to be picked up once per month.

While the aim is to increase composting and recycling; not everyone likes the idea of bi-weekly garbage.

"I prefer weekly pick-up of course. I mean you do pay your tax money for a reason; that's what we're paying for up until now," said resident Dave St. James.

Coun. Bob Monette says he thinks reducing garbage service is the wrong way to get people to use their green bins.

"Now by saying they're going to reduce their service -- and as far as I'm concerned garbage is a core service -- we are going to force people to use the green bin. I think that's the wrong approach to take," Monette said.

Meanwhile, Coun. Scott Moffatt has decided to test the theory. He's taking his own trash out every other week.

"I've heard a lot of things on either side. I've heard a lot of support for it, and a lot of support against it. I want to see what it does first hand and then I can make a decision -- an educated decision" he said.

But residents like Lorraine Shields love the idea. She's even encouraging her neighbours to get on board.

"It will be fine with me. I have very little garbage because I use the green bin for most of my things," she said.

A series of public consultation meetings are planned this month to gather public feedback. The second session will be held Wednesday night in Greely.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's John Hua