Brown food waste bins had been left uncollected in Sandwell streets for weeks
Food waste recycling bins had not been collected and emptied around Bearwood and Oldbury(Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Sandwell Council has apologised and vowed to clear a backlog following of weeks of missed bin collections.
Residents in Oldbury and Bearwood complained their brown food waste bins had not been emptied leading to messy looking streets.
Councillor Jennifer Hemmingway (Warley) said two extra food waste trucks had been purchased, increasing the fleet to half a dozen.
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Sandwell Council had also received a large contingent of brown bins and would be distributing them to residents.
She blamed the shortage and delays due to thousands of householders signing up to the scheme.
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Councillor Hemingway said: “The unprecedented demand of food waste collection requests means that *over 8,000 households have signed up in September alone*.
“We will now be collecting food waste from over 24,000 residents each week.
“While this is fantastic news, in the short term it has led to several issues which the Council and Serco are working to address.
“We have now received a large order of food waste bins, and we are in the process of delivering these to residents.
“We have also purchased two food additional waste trucks, bringing our total to six.
“I am very sorry to the residents who have been inconvenienced. This is not the standard of service we want to provide.”
Matthew Shepherd posted: “Ours or the streets haven’t been collected still after reporting it twice!
“Makes the street look a mess!!!”
Gary Goldsmith said: “They implement a new system of waste collection for resident to abide to.
“Then state they not ready for such new systems, they are The Professionals in such situation of refuge collection that we provide money to for such service, yet they are not prepared for such.
“So far three leaflets, blue bag issues, collection day issues, am sure there will be more situation to come, for a service that people have had to pay increased CT for, winter, Christmas, next summers sunshine yet to come..!!
“Fail to plan = plan to fail.”
Janet Taft said: “I phoned council for brown bin 11th September they said I’d receive one in 5 to 7 day’s still haven’t received it.”
Amanda Leek said: “Well well well not surprised of course more people will recycle food and not put it in grey bin now, as lots of them got fed up them not being collected in first place now they will use them more will need more staff to collect !”