Weekly bin collections in many parts of Wales could end because some councils are considering changing to a fortnightly service.
BBC Wales's Eye on Wales programme surveyed the 22 councils' plans.
It found that some councils believed a bi-weekly collection was the best way to get householders to reduce waste and meet recycling targets by 2010.
But a campaigner for weekly collections said a fortnightly service was "not the best way forward".
The programme found that half of Wales's 22 authorities were planning to continue with weekly collections.
Of the other 11, three had already switched to fortnightly, four were currently switching their schemes and another four were considering changing their collections.
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Currently, around 200 local authorities in the UK are collecting refuse fortnightly.
Councils are aiming to hit Welsh Assembly Government targets for 40% of waste to be recycled by 2010.
The spokesperson for the environment at the Welsh Local Government Association and Gwynedd Council leader, Richard Parry Hughes, said that refuse collection was an issue.
"This is a huge problem and a huge challenge for all local authorities, and all local authorities are planning to avoid the fines," he said.
"The political pressure is coming from householders themselves wanting to get rid of their waste and the financial pressure is coming from the EU whether they are going to charge us £200 a ton for putting into landfill.
"Therefore we have to work hard here to get the best answers for everybody.
"We can't afford not to hit those 2010 targets."
But some householders have begun to campaign against fortnightly collections.
One campaigner, Doretta Cocks, said: "This is just not the best way and so many reports are coming forward saying that this is not a good idea from real experts in the field and these reports are being ignored.
"We are in the 21st Century and I really don't think that people should be putting up with that now."
Environmental group, Friends of the Earth Cymru, has called for a "bin tax" where householders pay for the amount of waste they dispose of.
"We do think that there is a case for looking at a bin tax, a lot of people really do just want to take their waste removal for granted," director Julian Rosser said.
"The situation is so serious that if in three four years time all the recycling provisions are in place and people are still aren't using them, then I think we are going to have to start taking action against them for what is effectively anti-social behaviour."
Eye on Wales is broadcast on BBC Radio Wales just after 1830 BST on Monday, 21 May.
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