Birmingham Council's new bin boss, Councillor Harris Khaliq, has apologised after major changes to waste collections were accused of being 'rushed out'. The changes, including a shift from weekly to fortnightly household rubbish collections, are currently being piloted in north Birmingham. The pilot also introduces a second recycling bin and a food waste collection service.
Apology over rollout issues
Speaking at a recent neighbourhoods meeting, Khaliq acknowledged there had been 'issues' during the rollout and apologised to any residents impacted. He said the pilot was designed to identify problems early before any city-wide expansion. The changes were approved by the council's new coalition leadership—comprising Liberal Democrats, Greens, and independents—as part of a bid to 'clean up this fantastic city'.
Conservative Councillor Richard Parkin criticised the rollout as 'shambolic', claiming it started with insufficient consultation with members. 'I only found it was happening when residents told me they started receiving letters,' he said. He highlighted issues such as letters with incorrect dates and food waste collection vans operating before food caddies had been delivered to homes. 'For me, this project was rushed out,' Parkin added. 'This was the ideal opportunity to restore some trust and confidence in the waste service.'
Scale of the changes
Khaliq noted that the changes were agreed and planned from cabinet approval in December 2025. 'Containers were acquired, resources were lined up, vehicles were approved and everything was planned out for us to go ahead with the transformation rollout,' he said. He acknowledged challenges in Parkin's ward and reiterated his apology: 'Residents who are expecting stable transformation services should be getting stable transformation services.'
Robert Edmondson, director of waste and street scene, added: 'The size and magnitude of this change is quite significant. The complexity is huge and we've been absolutely open and honest—there were some errors, some mistakes which has resulted in residents receiving the wrong calendar.' He emphasised that significant planning lay behind the changes.
Need for a working waste service
Khaliq stressed that 'Birmingham must have a waste service that works and provides value for money.' He warned that if low recycling rates continue, the city could lose millions of pounds in government funding. The new system, he said, offers more collections, more value for money, and cleaner streets. Additional measures include more CCTV cameras and new enforcement officers to tackle fly-tipping.
The council will assess the pilot's effectiveness before deciding whether to roll out the arrangement city-wide.
