City to change to collecting bins every two weeks

Following nine months of industrial action affecting bin collections, Birmingham City Council has announced plans to launch a redesigned recycling program in the summer of 2026. The revamped service will switch from weekly bin collections to a fortnightly schedule, while reinstating recycling services, including weekly food waste collections.

The proposal includes providing residents with an additional 180-litre recycling bin and is set for cabinet approval on Tuesday, 9 December. A council spokesperson commented: "Historically, the service has fallen short, with frequent missed collections and one of the lowest recycling rates nationally. This must change."

From April next year, local authorities across England will be legally required to collect food waste, unless granted an extension by the government. Birmingham Council is in discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to align with the legislations intentions.

The new service will be rolled out in phases, with approximately 20,000 residents transitioning to fortnightly collections at a time. The food waste program will proceed irrespective of ongoing strike actions, the council stated.

Birmingham serves over 1.14 million residents and roughly 470,000 households. According to the councils report: "Residents deserve a more reliable waste service. Even before recent industrial action, Birminghams recycling rate stood at just 23%, among the lowest nationally. In 2024/25, there were 121,437 reported missed collections."

The report also noted inefficiencies: "The service has historically been costly, slow, and poorly rated by residents. The council must confront this record of underperformance."

Cabinet member for environment and transport, Councillor Majid Mahmood, said: "Residents will notice a tangible improvement. Our new council-owned fleet reduces reliance on hired vehicles, boosts reliability, and ensures more consistent collections. This upgraded service will align Birmingham with other councils, raise recycling rates, and meet the needs of our community."

Over 1,100 new collection routes have been planned, with the council aiming to recycle 30% of all waste in the future. Industrial action by Unite trade union members began in March, affecting collections, and recruitment agency staff later walked out over workplace disputes.

Despite the disruptions, the council aims to launch the new service in June 2026. Performance improvements have been reported, including a 52% reduction in missed collections and a 22% increase in waste collected per employee.

The latest report from council commissioners emphasized: "The long-awaited transformation of this critical service has been delayed by industrial action. Effective waste and recycling services are essential for residents' confidence in the council."

Author: Sophia Brooks