Call for urgent action on waste collection in response to ‘unacceptable’ missed collections
Calling for ‘urgent action and accountability’, Bristol’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have called on the council and Bristol Waste to respond to the recent spate of missed bin collections with an immediate, city-wide recovery plan and a long-term improvement in scrutiny and accountability for the city’s waste collection service.
With the recent extreme temperatures, residents across the city have been experiencing repeated missed collections. Some residents have even been reporting that their black bins or recycling have not been collected for three weeks.
Bristol Waste have acknowledged that adapting to the dangerous heat and a ‘significant shortage of drivers’ have affected their operations.
In a statement to a Full Council meeting on 14th July, Cllr Jos Clark has submitted a statement highlighting these issues and calling for urgent steps to be taken to address this crisis.
Cllr Jos Clark (Brislington West), Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Bristol City Council, said:
“Rubbish, food and recycling bins have been piling up on some city streets, and our residents tell they have not had a collection in weeks, and the situation is getting worse. Residents have been contacting Cllr Varney and I to say their black bins and recycling have not been collected in three weeks and things are not improving.
“It is a disgrace and it is unacceptable. We know that Bristol Waste are playing catch-up, but surely it makes sense to prioritise taking the food waste before we are overrun with maggots and flies. We have all seen Bristol Waste apologise saying they had been unable to collect from a number of streets due to ‘significant staffing issues’ and the ‘knock-on effects’ of the ‘recent extreme red weather conditions’.
“This is a clear failure of a basic public service. Residents are being left without collections for weeks, with growing risks to public health, environmental standards, and confidence in the council and Bristol Waste. Explanations around staffing and weather cannot become an excuse for sustained disruption at this scale. Residents are paying for a reliable service and are entitled to receive it.
“Residents deserve a dependable, functioning waste service. Urgent action is now required to put this right.”
In the group’s statement, Cllr Clark calls for:
- An immediate, city-wide recovery plan, published with clear timelines for clearing the backlog and returning to normal service.
- Full transparency on the scale of failure, including the number of missed collections, affected streets, and households.
- Daily public updates, so residents know when their bins will be collected and what to expect.
- A credible workforce plan, setting out how driver shortages will be addressed and resilience improved.
- Urgent scrutiny and accountability, including a formal review of contract performance and leadership oversight.
- If Bristol Waste cannot deliver this service to the standard residents expect, the Chair of the Environment and Sustainability Policy Committee should be clear about what intervention is required and how confidence will be restored.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
- Cllr Clark’s statement will be published alongside other Councillor statements as part of the papers for the meeting of Member Forum on 14th July, available here: ModernGov - bristol.gov.uk