From August 4, people in Brent living in houses or houses converted into flats will have to recycle or face or a fine of up to £1,000.
Brent Council is introducing the new regulations in a bid to increase its recycling rate and avoid rising landfill costs.
Its landfill bill is set to be around £7m this year, but council chiefs predict it could increase to as much as £10m by 2011 if it continues to collect the same amount of waste.
A huge publicity campaign has been underway to alert local people to the change and hundreds of households have ordered recycling boxes from the council.
Council leader Cllr Paul Lorber said: “I want to say thank you to everyone who is already recycling. If you aren’t, you should get involved to avoid a fine.
“We all have to recycle more or the cost will be passed onto local people. And recycling will help us preserve the planet for future generations.
“Two-thirds of what people throw away can be recycled, and it’s easy to do using the green box scheme, so compulsory recycling should help us make a substantial improvement.
“The early signs are good – more and more people are getting involved. Let’s work together to make Brent one of the best recycling boroughs in Britain.”
Kate Martin