Bin strikes: Council says collections could take weeks to resume

With over 17,000 tonnes of waste on Birmingham’s streets, the city council has declared a major incident. Strike action has delayed collections for weeks.

Emergency plans are now in motion—but the clean-up could still take time.

The council's emergency plan allows for 90 refuse vehicles to be deployed daily. But due to picket lines at depots, it says only one vehicle per hour is currently managing to get out.

Read more: 26 shocking pictures reveal impact of Birmingham's bin strike crisis in 2025

Council officials say that once the fleet is fully operational, it could take up to three weeks to restore regular collections--and another three to clean up the wider mess left behind.

Declaring a major incident allows the council to bring in help from external partners, including nearby authorities and government agencies. It also clears the way for 35 extra vehicles and crews to begin fly-tip removals and street cleansing.

Other measures already in place include extended opening hours at local tips, seven-day mobile collections, and more caretakers in tower blocks to help tackle fire risk from built-up refuse.

But full recovery will rely not just on vehicles and staff--but on a resolution to the underlying dispute. The council says it's doing everything possible to minimise risk and restore services.

For now, though, much of the city remains stuck under a growing pile of rubbish.

Watch the video for the full story.