Birmingham City Council said the expanded pilot begun yesterday (30 June 2026) across North Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, following what it described as a successful food waste trial which launched in March 2026.
Under the new arrangements, households in the pilot areas will receive a second recycling bin, alongside weekly food waste collections and fortnightly residual waste collections.
The council said the additional recycling capacity is intended to improve participation and reduce the amount of waste sent for disposal.
New bins started being delivered from 30 June, with the first collections under the scheme scheduled to begin on 6 July.
The local authority said the effectiveness of the pilot will be reviewed before any decision is taken on whether to retain the system permanently or roll it out more widely across Birmingham.
Further trials of alternative collection methods are also expected to begin in other parts of the city in the coming months.
Councillor Harris Khaliq, Birmingham City Council’s cabinet member for city services and digital, commented: “It’s essential that we improve waste collection and test the best way to do this in Birmingham.
“This approach is designed to give households more opportunities to recycle, provide more capacity for their waste and put in additional measures to tackle issues such as fly-tipping.
“Birmingham must have a waste service that works and provides value for money. If we continue with low recycling rates, the city could lose out on millions of pounds of government funding that could go back into funding services for residents.
“In parallel with the new service there will be more CCTV cameras and new enforcement officers to help clean up the city.”
Households in 23 wards, including Aston, Erdington, Perry Barr and several Sutton Coldfield wards, may be included in the latest trial, with residents set to receive further information ahead of any changes.
Birmingham bin strikes
The latest move marks a shift for Birmingham’s waste services, which have faced sustained disruption in recent months because of an ongoing bin strike.
The dispute began following Birmingham City Council’s decision to remove the waste recycling and collection officer (WRCO) role as part of wider service restructuring and job evaluation changes.
Unite has argued that the changes would result in pay losses for affected workers and has accused the council of attempting to reduce wages through restructuring.
The council has consistently maintained that the changes are necessary as part of efforts to modernise services and address its financial challenges.
Industrial action has led to repeated disruption to waste collections across Birmingham, with negotiations continuing intermittently through Acas and other mediation efforts.
The dispute has led to missed collections, mounting waste in some areas and political pressure on the authority to stabilise services.
In March, former council leader John Cotton said an end to the dispute was “within sight” and confirmed that a revised offer was being developed following discussions at Acas.
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