Birmingham City Council has issued an urgent plea for residents to use alternative household waste tips after significant queues brought disruption to a key facility in the days after Christmas.
Festive Frustration at Castle Bromwich
The problems emerged on Monday, December 29, 2025, at the Castle Bromwich Household Recycling Centre on Tameside Drive. Householders hoping to dispose of post-Christmas rubbish faced lengthy waits, leading the council to acknowledge the issues publicly.
In a statement, the authority apologised for the inconvenience and frustration caused. It has now temporarily disabled the online booking system at the Castle Bromwich site to help manage the flow of visitors.
Council Advice and Resident Anger
The council is actively encouraging people to consider using other recycling depots across Birmingham. "Using the booking systems in place at other sites can make visits quicker and more convenient during this busy festive period," a spokesperson advised.
However, the frustration at the tip was compounded by separate complaints from locals about missed refuse collections on the same day. Residents took to social media to voice their anger, linking the two issues.
Residents Voice Their Complaints
Justine Bayliss commented directly on the council's advice, stating: "There wouldn’t be issues or queues if the rubbish was collected when it was supposed to be according to your own Christmas schedule!"
Richard Wallace posted about ongoing problems, saying: "No bins collected again this morning. This has been happening for the best part of the year. Was hoping things would return to normal in the new year but looks very unlikely. Shambolic council."
Other residents, including Maggie Jennings and Kevin Hawkins, echoed the criticisms, with Hawkins calling for the immediate reinstatement of the booking system at Castle Bromwich to restore order.
What Happens Next?
The situation highlights the ongoing pressure on waste services during the holiday period. While the council works to manage demand at its recycling centres, it faces mounting criticism from residents dealing with uncollected waste at their homes.
The call to use alternative sites remains in place as the council attempts to clear the backlog and restore normal service across both its collection rounds and its tip facilities.
