The changes, which will be rolled out between August and November, will affect inner-city homes currently on a black recycling box collection, as well as apartments with communal recycling facilities.
According to recent research, Belfast could double its recycling rate to 70% if everyone were to use the recycling facilities provided by the council.
Councillor Steven Corr, Chairman of the Council's Health and Environmental Services Committee, said: "We need the city's recycling rate to be at least 50% by 2020, as required by EU legislation. If we fail to achieve that target, the council will face heavy fines and it's inevitable that those fines will have to be passed on to ratepayers in some way.
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"As it stands currently, we could recycle 70% of the waste we produce, but we're only recycling half of that. We've reviewed our recycling service and have tried to come up with the best way for people to recycle at home, while at the same time trying to save council money which can be reinvested in other services, helping to create and sustain jobs and creating a cleaner, greener environment."
Over the coming weeks, council staff will begin calling with people in the areas affected to explain the changes and give advice and information on recycling. Following the visit, each house will also receive a black and red kerbside box for dry recyclables as well as a kitchen caddy to recycle food waste.
(CD/JP)
