Weekly recycling will be trialled in more than 50 residential highrise buildings under a Brisbane City Council program announced today.

The council has called for expressions of interest from waste companies to operate a bulk weekly recycling run for inner-city residential buildings between Toowong, Newstead and West End.

The $400,000 trial is part of a wider recycling service for multi-unit dwellings that the council has budgeted $2.5 million for during the next four years.

But Labor opposition leader Shayne Sutton said the trial was a knee-jerk response to highrise unit owners' outrage over rates hikes unveiled in last month's council budget.

Instead, Cr Sutton called for a full program to be rolled out to all multi-unit dwellings immediately.

Some apartment complexes have declined to take part in the program, however, citing a lack of space for large communal bins.

It is understood Macarthur Chambers in Queen Street, which relies on a shopping mall for building access, will not take part.

Pacific International has also refused the council's officer, despite the enthusiasm of the building manager to implement weekly recycling.

Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said tenders had been invited from four companies known to a national waste and recycling body.

"I want Brisbane to be Australia's most sustainable city and a key part of that is increasing our recyclables and reducing waste to landfill by 30 per cent," Cr Newman said.

A second public tender would be issued later this year for the operation of an ongoing, permanent service, he said.

"The idea is that the permanent service will begin straight after the trial, so that unit dwellers won't see a gap in their service."

Buildings taking part include:

Linear Apartments

The Mews

Cloudland

Cloudland Cumulus

Cloudland Nebula

Rothbury on Ann

Lexicon

Quay Tces

Oaks on Felix

Metro 21

Vue

River City Apartments

River Place

Festival Towers

Admiralty Towers

Admiralty Quays

Roma St Parklands

Admiralty Towers 2

Charlotte Towers

Flair@Portside

Infinity@Portside

The Establishment

Fusion

Biella

Faircourt

Ellington

Ansonia

Alexander River View

Castlebar Cove

Saville Apts

Que

McWhirters Apts

Dornoch Vista

Winchcombe Carson

Story Apts

Riverview Gardens

Monreve

Donard units

Excelsior

Saratoga

Better Housing Projects

Spring Hill Central

Frisco

Avalon Parkside

Oxygen Apts

Birley Lane Apts

The Observatory

The Galleries

Koko Apartments

Tempo Residences

The Nouvelle

Regatta Riverside

Rivers on the Park

Cutters Landing

Cunningham

Cathedral Place

Petrie Point