Date revealed for city's fortnightly bin rounds

Fortnightly bin collections could be rolled out to all households in Birmingham in February.

The city council has proposed extending a pilot scheme that replaced weekly rubbish collections with fortnightly ones, alongside weekly food waste pickups and a second recycling bin.

The decision follows trials of two different waste collection models across the city. One, in north Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, introduced fortnightly general waste collections, while the other retained weekly collections.

A report recommended adopting the first model, with the waste service transformation expected to restart from February. Bulky waste collections should also be reintroduced.

However, the report acknowledged resources are still constrained by strike legislation and only one crew for bulky waste can be deployed.

A definite date for a return was not provided.

The proposals are due to be discussed at a meeting next week before being submitted to cabinet members in November.

The council, made up of a coalition of Lib Dem, Greens, and independents the Better Birmingham Group, said the preferred model had performed better on recycling rates and cost. The report showed the first pilot achieved a recycling rate of 33.06%, compared with about 27% for the second pilot, which retained weekly rubbish collections.

The report also said the first model would cost £14.02m less per year to operate than the alternative.

It added that the proposed operating model could be delivered despite the ongoing bin strike, as it would not require an increase in overall resources.

However, opposition councillors criticised the prospect of fortnightly general waste collections and called on the administration to retain weekly services.

Reform group leader Councillor Jex Parkin previously said residents deserved an "effective, reliable weekly household waste collection alongside a regular recycling service".

Conservative group leader Councillor Robert Alden also called for weekly collections to be retained, saying this was a commitment made by his party during the election campaign.

Harris Khaliq, the council's cabinet member for city services and digital, previously defended the changes, saying they would be supported by additional clean-up measures and investment in enforcement.

"One of our key commitments as the council's new administration is to clean up this fantastic city, which is why it's essential for the changes in relation to waste collection to go ahead, supported by additional measures," Khaliq said earlier this year.

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