Thousands of householders are receiving wheelie bins as part of the latest roll-out of a controversial rubbish collection scheme.

Wheelie bins were delivered to 2,800 homes in Moulsecoomb, Brighton, this week to replace the black bin bag collection which is being phased out in most parts of the city.

The black sack system is considered outdated, unhygienic, labour intensive and causes more injuries to refuse workers than any other method of refuse collection.

In the past two years Brighton and Hove City Council has introduced green wheelie bins across large swathes of the city.

The move sparked outrage in Preston Park, a conservation area where some residents said they had nowhere to store the bins, which were left lining the streets.

The council has been sending out staff to talk to residents about the bins. For the first week of operation it will collect black sacks and wheelie bin rubbish but then it will stop collecting the bags. The aim is to get residents to recycle as much waste as possible.

Leonie White, of the council's cleansing department, said:

"We wanted to be sure of getting the message across that extra bags of rubbish just won't be collected. We've been tough and stuck to our guns, leaving extra rubbish uncollected but also explaining why.

"The new wheelie bins are just the right size for a family who regularly recycle and compost. Where there is a problem with excess waste the solution is often a simple one, we just provide more recycling boxes free of charge and offer compost bins from as little as £6."

Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of the council's environment committee, said: "The message is clear. We will help residents to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as we can but ultimately it is their responsibility."