Wiltshire Council expects to save around £100,000 a year by closing 126 mini recycling centres throughout the county next month.

The council says that, due to the success of its kerbside recycling collections, the recycling banks in car parks and other public spaces are surplus to requirements and will save the council money if they disappeared.

A council spokesman said that households in Wiltshire recycled 68,000 tonnes of their waste last year, 36,000 of which came through the black box and blue bin collections, and only 3,000 tonnes is expected to be disposed of through the mini sites this year.

As a result, the 126 mini recycling sites across the county will be removed, though the larger household recycling centres will remain. Signs informing people of the changes will be displayed from this week and the sites will be removed in early May.

Some recycling banks, mostly for textiles, which are operated by charities, may remain in place.

Coun Toby Sturgis, cabinet member for waste, said: “The kerbside collection of recyclable waste has been extremely successful.

“We are delighted people are using this service and recycling more of their household waste than ever before.

“The amount we pay in landfill tax will increase to £80 per tonne later this year, so every pound we save by recycling more is an extra pound we can spend on vital services in Wiltshire.”

But Liberal Democrat spokesman, Coun Jon Hubbard, said removing the mini recyling centres was a mistake that could end up costing the Wiltshire council tax payer even more in landfill tax.

He said: “This is a regrettable decision. These mini-recycling centres are not units that are not being used. When they are closed the people who use them are more likely to put their waste into landfill collections and the council will have to pay landfill tax on it.”