Both sides are digging in ahead of the action, which is also likely to hit most other local authority technical and manual services.
Councils have rejected a pay claim tabled by the Unison, GMB and TGWU trade unions for an increase of 6% or 1,750, whichever is greater.
They have offered only a 3% rise, and said that the unions' claim would add 11.8% to their pay bill.
Local authorities are laying contingency plans to try to keep essential services in operation.
They fear more and longer bouts of industrial action by the unions to follow next week's walk-out.
Unison has specified refuse collection as a service that would be targeted for strike action beyond 17 July.
Contingency plans
In a letter to all councils, the Local Government Employers' Organisation urged them to make plans to minimise the impact of disruption.
It suggested that work could be reallocated to non-striking staff, or that temporary, agency, or contract workers could be used in the event of prolonged industrial action.
The employers suggested that using outside staff for refuse collection might make it unnecessary for councils to negotiate clear up payments, or back to work agreements, when the dispute ends.
Councils were also urged to secure access to depots and vehicles.
Confrontation
Neither side shows any sign of backing down.
Unison's national secretary for local government, Heather Wakefield, said: “Our members voted for industrial action because they are sick of being treated as the poor relations of the public sector.
“Their case for a realistic pay rise is indisputable. The employers should be left in no doubt that our action will continue until they return with a realistic offer.”
But the employers said that their 3% offer, which they called “fair and final”, was well ahead of the inflation rate and the same as the average pay settlement in the economy as a whole.
“There is therefore no good reason for the employers to reconsider their negotiating position,” an employers' statement said.
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