Everything you need to know as bin changes start

Recycling collections are returning to parts of Birmingham for the first time in more than 16 months as the city council begins rolling out major changes to its waste collection service.

The changes, which start with a pilot in north Birmingham and Sutton Coldfield, will see most households move to fortnightly household waste collections alongside the return of recycling, a weekly food waste collection and new recycling bins.

The new system is due to be introduced across Birmingham before Christmas if the pilot is successful. The bin strike, which began in February last year, is still ongoing.

The headline changes are:

• Household waste to be removed every two weeks instead of weekly
• Recyling to be collected on alternate weeks to the household waste
• A weekly food waste pickup will be introduced

Most households taking part in the pilot will receive:

• A black household waste bin
• A blue-lidded recycling bin for glass, plastics, cans and cartons
• A green-lidded recycling bin for paper and cardboard
• Indoor and outdoor food waste caddies

Residents who do not have room for wheelie bins, including some people living above shops, will instead receive recycling sacks. Those households will continue to have weekly household waste collections for now.

For households included in the pilot, collection arrangements are likely to change.

The council is writing to affected households and says residents can check its website to find out when their collections will change.

Not everyone is happy with the changes. Conservative group leader Robert Alden criticised the council for not retaining weekly bin collections and introducing a new recycling scheme during the summer holidays when a lot of people will be away.

"The reality should have been that weekly bin collections were protected and recycling was restarted, because we need to see those recycling bins emptied.

"It's a very foolish time of year to be doing this kind of rollout."

In March the council introduced a food waste collection as a pilot and says it has successfully collected over 110 tonnes of waste, which has been transformed into green energy and fertiliser.

Residents will be given a grey indoor kitchen caddy and a larger brown outdoor caddy. The indoor caddy can be tipped into the outdoor one, ready for collection.

Any raw or cooked food can go into the brown caddy. This includes:

• Meat, fish, and bones

• Fruit (including whole fruit) and vegetables

• Dairy products, including cheese and yoghurt

• Bread, rice and pasta

• Leftovers and plate scrapings

• Tea bags and coffee grounds

• Eggs and eggshells

• Loose pet food (dried or wet) without the packaging

• Beans

• Cakes and pastries

• Mouldy or out-of-date food

• Ready meals removed from their packaging

But do not put in any item that is not food waste. This includes:

• Packaging of any kind, such as food wrappers

• Paper plates

• Black bags

• Liquids, such as milk

• Oil or fat

• Flowers or garden waste

Caddy lids should be kept closed and cleaned regularly. Liners will be provided.

First collections are scheduled to start from Monday, 6 July.

The city's website has advice on where to leave bins for collection – and what could happen if they're not put out correctly.

Residents should put their bin out before 05.30 on collection day and bring it back by midday the day after it has been collected.

Bring your bin back to your property by midday the day after it is collected and do not put your bin out before 15:30 on collection day.

If your bin is not in the right place or not out at the right time it may not be collected. And if bins are left on the street or not placed properly for collection, the council says it may take action.

"If we send you a Notice of Intent and the problem is not fixed, you may get a £60 fine. We may also remove your bin," it says.

The restart of recycling collections is separate from the ongoing bin strike, which has disrupted services across Birmingham since last year.

Council officials said recycling could only return gradually because staff and resources need to be moved across as the new collection system is introduced.

Chris Smiles, head of waste logistics and collections, said recycling would "eventually come back" across the whole city but acknowledged some residents would have gone almost two years without the service by the time it returns to every area.

Birmingham's new council leader Roger Harmer has said his priority would be settling the strike.

"We will find a deal. We will make a deal.There has to be a deal, and that is number one item on our agenda," he said.

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