To think it's unacceptable to say we have to wait another two weeks.

[CheesePizzas]

Today was our general waste bin day, they are alternative weeks with recycling as I imagine is similar in most parts of the country.

I'd had a clear out over half term so our rubbish bin is full but the lid still closes. Our bin was not emptied today, none of the streets bins were emptied, nor the bins on one of the street adjoining ours, the other streets from what I can see have had their bins emptied.

There is no reason the bin lorry couldn't have emptied our streets bins e.g poor parking or no access so I rang to report the bins had not been collected as per the instructions on the website and whilst she noted the whole street had been missed apparently there is nothing they can do until the next collection date in two weeks. Our council no longer come back for missed collections even if the whole street has been missed.

The women on the phone could not understand why this wasn't really an acceptable solution and all she could offer as an alternative was for residents to use the tip whilst reminding me that if the bins were too full next time they came to collect they wouldn't be collected. AIBU to think this is not a solution and that the crew should come back out to collect?

She was lucky, councils can fine people hundreds for that if caught.

I'm pretty sure they can fine you for that if they track you down through letters?

I know a few of my neighbours have also reported it but I'm sceptical anything will happen.

It's ridiculous and so frustrating for you. I know you shouldn't have to but as a practical solution, a lot of private waste collector's will empty rubbish bins. We paid £10 to get ours emptied during a recent strike.

My mum lives abroad- not in the UK. I'm sure if she was aware that her council could fine her- she wouldn't have got rid of small bags of rubbish when her collection was missed.

@CheesePizzas She wouldn't have put any personal documents with identifiable info in the rubbish.

That's helpful to know about the private waste companies. It's definitely worth considering as I've checked and the rip doesn't actually take general waste.

In London, you can get a private rubbish collection for around £300 for a van-worth. if you organised that across everyone in the street, it should spread the cost.

do check that the collection company is licensed and won't just fly-tip elsewhere.

They can and do.

I emailed to complain last time our entire street got missed. When I phoned I was told it was my fault!
The email sorted it. Get all your neighbours to email them.

Ha Ha Ha.

One collection missed.
Laughs weekly from Birmingham

Contact your local councillor- it is what they are there for.

Completely unacceptable. I would be making a complete nuisance of myself until they came back. I’d be calling multiple times a day, emailing councillors and if there happened to be a council meeting I would be turning up. Squeaky wheel gets the oil and all that.

Bugger that! You make a mistake you make good. They can absolutely add on an extra run to collect the rubbish that they were too lazy to collect.
It’s literally their job to get it right.

Our tip takes black bins but they can and have checked some of the bags before. Nothing in my black bin is recyclable as I'm on that. So put something rank at the top like my disabled sons pads ( double wrapped) etc, and then it's not ripped open as they ask what's in there

It would be a nightmare in summer. Four weeks with no collection? The flies would be bad. However much your carefully sort your waste there's always some food that gets into the black bin.

I don't know how you're all coping in Birmingham it's beyond ridiculous that expecting rubbish to be collected is something you should be grateful for.

I've noticed on the morning dog walk that the street adjoining us appears to have now been collected but our road hasn't! The mind boggles that they'd do one and not the other, I'm guessing they actually drove down our street to get to the other bins.

I've contacted the councillor and I shall ring back again today because evidently they do come back and make additional collections.