Householders are throwing away more than £600,000 a year by not recycling, The Argus can reveal.

Half of all rubbish in Brighton and Hove could be recycled under the current city council service but only 27 per cent is being placed in black boxes - leading to a huge landfill bill.

The new research has revealed that paper and card alone accounts for 12,500 tonnes per year to landfill or 15 per cent of all rubbish.

Landfill tax currently stands at £24 per tonne and with 26,000 tonnes of recyclable rubbish thrown into the bin each year, the council is forced to fork out £630,000.

And Chancellor Gordon Brown's unexpected tax hike in this year's budget will lead to a fee of £1.3 million a year in 2010 if recycling rates do not increase.

Recycling has become more popular since kerbside collection was introduced in 2003, leading to a rise from 15 per cent to 25 per cent in 2005.

But rates still lag behind the 30 per cent target and even the threat of hefty fines does not appear to have had a marked impact.

The crackdown was launched last year to tackle people who are not recycling and not fitting all their rubbish in one wheelie-bin.

Council officers have been scouring the streets looking for culprits and while no-one has yet to receive the £100 penalty, warnings have been issued.

A waste sorting station in Hollingdean will help the council recycle new materials, including Tetra Packs, and a partnership with East Sussex County Council and Veolia should also lead to the building of an incinerator in Newhaven, which will cut landfill costs.

A spokesman for the council said: "We're continually working to improve public awareness and educate people about how to recycle and what to recycle.

"Recycling officers have a programme of going out with crews, making sure that people have enough recycling boxes and giving advice to people who need it, and they get a great response from residents."

But Sam Thomson, of Baker Street, Brighton, said the council and private recycling firm Magpie had told him that he cannot have a black box.

He said: "We cannot get black boxes along my street and it is the middle of Brighton.

"If they can get a rubbish truck down the road I cannot see why they can't pick up recycling.

"If that is the council's attitude then it is not a surprise that so much is not being recycled.

"You feel incredibly guilty even when you put out a small bag of recycling - I want to recycle but it is made so difficult."

For more information on recycling visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/recycling Do you recycle or could you recycle more? Leave your comments below.