Overview
- Birmingham will shift general rubbish to fortnightly collections, add a weekly food‑waste service and introduce a separate paper and cardboard recycling bin.
- The council confirms a phased rollout from June 2026 moving about 20,000 households at a time by depot, beginning with Perry Barr, then Lifford and Atlas, over roughly 12 months.
- A three‑month mobilisation will precede the rollout, with resident communications planned and a food‑waste pilot scheduled ahead of full implementation.
- Initial changes target kerbside homes, with around 130,000 flats and multiple‑occupancy properties to follow on a later timetable likely extending into late 2026/27.
- Officials cite more than 1,100 new routes, a council‑owned vehicle fleet and staff training as readiness steps, while the ongoing Unite dispute over the WRCO role has cost at least an estimated £14 million and continues to draw political criticism.