RESIDENTS are to be forced into recycling after a council announced it would only collect traditional household rubbish once a fortnight.

Householders face splitting their rubbish into three different containers, with councillors issuing the warning: "Don't do it and we won't take it."

From March next year, the traditional, weekly all-waste collections will be scrapped on two yet-to-be decided pilot bin rounds, covering 12,000 homes.

It will be replaced by one all-rubbish collection every fortnight, alternating with a green waste collection.

Blackburn with Darwen Council bosses say they have been forced into the action because of spiralling landfill charges, which are imposed on to councils for every tonne of rubbish they dump into the ground.

Each house will receive a second, brown wheelie bin into which they will be expected to put all their garden rubbish, such as grass cuttings as well as peelings.

A third container will also be sent to homes, for people to store dry waste, such as glass, textiles, paper and tins. This will be collected along with the brown bin once a fortnight. The grey wheelie bin, which every home already has, will only be used for non-recyclable material such as a plastics and kitchen waste.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration, said: "We really do not have any choice.The government insists that just burying rubbish in the ground is not a long term option and is increasing the Landfill Tax levy. From 2005 it will rise by £3 a tonne and will rise by the same amount every year.

"We have 70,000 tonnes of rubbish every year to get rid of. It costs us £13 a tonne at the moment and if we don't do this, we will have to put an extra £1million on council tax in no time at all."

But Coun Paul Browne, in charge of the Lib Dems, said: "If the council tries to explain to people why they should recycle, not just saying it's good for the environment but explaining the financial costs as well, I think people will do more.

"But people won't appreciate being told they have to do something and I think many people, when their rubbish isn't picked up, will just dump it."