Bin bags have started piling up in Birmingham streets after the council introduced a new fortnightly collection pilot for 50,000 households, the latest attempt to manage waste amid an 18-month strike by refuse workers. The move has sparked fury from local councillors and residents, who say the scheme was launched without consultation and has been marred by errors.
Council blunders with incorrect start dates
The council told 50,000 residents an incorrect start date for the pilot, and some properties were missed entirely. Conservative Councillor Richard Parkin slammed the authority for excluding a block of flats in Sutton Coldfield from the scheme. In a video, he said: “I am actually really annoyed. The council has introduced this waste pilot scheme without any consultation with councillors. They have introduced fortnightly household waste collections and they have also included in the scheme flats.”
His video showed piles of black bags, with split bags containing nappies and animal waste spilling out. He added that people in flats generate a lot of waste and lack space for wheelie bins: “[The council] needs to stop fortnightly waste collections outside flats. It isn’t working. It’s not going to work and they have let everybody down. Birmingham City Council sort it out!”
Strike and major incident
Refuse workers began industrial action in early 2025, and the government was forced to bring in army planners to keep some collections going after the council declared a major incident. Infestations of maggots and rats 'as big as cats' took hold around uncollected bin bags on city streets, according to Birmingham Live.
Labour lost control of the council in May, and a new minority coalition of Greens, Liberal Democrats, and independent Better Birmingham councillors is now trying to address the waste problem. The councillor responsible, Harris Khaliq, acknowledged 'issues' during the new service's introduction and apologised to the 50,000 households given 'incorrect calendar information'.
Council acknowledges problems with flats
Cllr Khaliq said: “We understand one size does not fit all. We have a diverse city with different types of properties, high density properties, low density properties. Driveways, no driveways, terraced houses, semi-detached houses, and all sorts that we have got to take into account to make something work.” He also acknowledged the issue with flats, saying it would be 'captured and co-ordinated' to ensure wider lessons are learned and implemented into the wider city plan.
Pay deal negotiations and funding
The council, Britain's largest, and trade unions are said to be close to agreeing a pay deal but remain tight-lipped on 'sensitive' negotiations. Previously, the council explained it was starting the fortnightly pilot to improve recycling rates and access new government funding. During the bin strike, recycling bins have not been collected in swathes of Birmingham.
A council spokesperson said: “If we continue with low recycling rates, the city could lose out on millions of pounds of government funding that could go back into funding services for residents. The new system means people get more collections, more value for money and cleaner streets. We want to work with everyone in the pilot areas to make this a success that can benefit the whole city.”
