Some State College Borough residents are tired of seeing red.

Most citizens accustomed to the weekly garbage collection ritual do not mind filling the recycling containers each week. But several have made it known that the color of the plastic cans now lining borough streets once a week is just too ugly.

Green, they say, would be much easier to stomach.

Tonight, the State College Borough Council will decide what might be called "The Great Recycling Can Color Debate of 1990." The council will hear input on the borough Planning Commission's Jan. 17 request to send the bright red cans back to the Centre County Solid Waste Authority, if there would be no cost.

Although green is not more expensive than red, the borough would have to pay a replacement cost of about $15,000, said Councilwoman Ruth Lavin.

The commission has examined other options to make the situation less of an eyesore, said Peter Everett, planning commission chairman.

"First we had hoped to enact some ordinance to get people to return them to their house instead of leaving them at the curb," Everett said.

Borough Manager Peter Marshall is recommending the council take no action on the proposal, which he says has been negative for the borough. There has been no discussion whether the new bins would be bright or dark green.

Also on the council's agenda is a proposal to fund the Centre County Big Brother/Big Sister program with an additional $3,900 for a total of $10,480. Norma Keller, director of the program, will make a plea to the council on behalf of the increased allocation.

Marshall recommends that the council deny the request, in favor of holding the funds for emergency use in other human service areas. The grant was proposed when the borough received an extra $28,000 from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department.

The Community Development Block Grant Citizens Advisory Committee recommends the council supply the Big Brother/Big Sister program with the additional money.

"We had felt that it would be better to strengthen that program than to find a new one to spend money on," said Ted Vallance, chairman of the committee.

Other council business will include awarding a service contract for removing asbestos from the borough Municipal Building, 118 S. Fraser St.