Residents in Stockport's Manor area are furious after their bins were left unemptied due to lids not being fully closed. The apparent increased enforcement of a long-standing policy has left dozens of households with full wheelie bins, forcing some to dispose of waste themselves.
A July 2026 reminder sent to Totally Local Company, which operates Stockport’s bin services, instructed staff not to collect bins where the lid is open. Councillors claim staff were made to sign a document confirming they had read the instruction. While the policy is not new, its stricter application has caused widespread frustration.
Residents Speak Out
Louis Doran told the Manchester Evening News: “Right now I am going to the tip with these bags smelling. It’s not right. They need emptying today. There’s no point paying council tax if no one is emptying my bins.” He said missed collections were a regular occurrence and around ten bins on his street were left uncollected, adding: “With the heat, it’s just going to get worse. Smells, flies, it’s not good is it? It all needs doing.”
Another resident, Adam, said he noticed many bins not collected on Friday. “I have a seven month old daughter, so this has caused a real problem. We get through between five and ten nappies a day, and with the bin not being emptied I’ve had to collect our rubbish in bin bags and take it to the tip myself over the weekend.” He added: “The most frustrating part is that residents were never properly informed that even the slightest gap in a bin lid could result in it not being collected.”
Councillors React
Labour councillor for Manor, Jon Byrne, said he had been “inundated” with complaints. “Clearly this is not [bin staff’s] fault and any abuse directed at them is unacceptable, but by not communicating this to residents the council have placed them at the front line.” Labour has asked for a pause in enforcement, for bins to be collected, and for any changes to be properly communicated.
Councillor Rachel Wise added: “If the rules are going to change, that needs to be done pragmatically, with a clear transition period, so residents are told before their bin is refused, not after. Nobody should be punished for a policy they were never told about.”
Reform UK councillor for Manor, Brian Battle, said: “Collecting the bins is one of the absolutely basic roles of the council. It’s what we pay for but without any warning numerous black bins went uncollected this week.” He noted that lids had never been an issue before and crews previously used discretion. “In one swoop the ‘Totally Local Company’ had removed the crews ability to show discretion and apply common sense, and replaced it with a diktat telling them not to collect if the lid is not closed. They even had to sign and date it to confirm they’d read it.”
Council Statement
A spokesperson for Stockport Council said: “We know residents can be disappointed and frustrated when their bin isn’t emptied, especially if similar bins may have been collected in the past. However, our long-standing policy is that bins must be presented with the lid fully closed. This is an important health and safety measure to protect our collection crews. While there may have been occasions where overfilled bins were collected previously, the policy has not changed and crews have recently been reminded to apply it consistently. We appreciate that this may cause inconvenience for some households, but applying the policy consistently helps us provide a safe, fair and reliable service for everyone.”
