Overview
- A year after the all-out walkout began, Birmingham’s recycling remains suspended, a past backlog of about 17,000 tonnes prompted a major-incident response, and forecast strike costs could reach £14.6 million if it runs to the end of March.
- Birmingham has delivered food-waste caddies to 20,000 households in pilot areas, issuing 7-litre kitchen caddies and 23-litre outdoor bins with clear guidance on what can be collected.
- The council says a phased rollout from June will reintroduce recycling, start weekly food-waste collections, and add a second recycling bin regardless of ongoing industrial action.
- Coventry has bought ten food-waste collection vehicles and 141,000 caddies with £2.69 million in funding, planning citywide deliveries from June and weekly collections from September 1, 2026.
- Brighton’s final phase began on March 9, extending weekly food-waste collections to about 76,000 households, while Darlington delayed its launch to June 2 after a supplier setback.