‘Global factors’ are having an unlikely impact on the lives of everyday Bristolians
06:00, 16 May 2026
Bristol Waste is dealing with delays in the supply of new recycling containers(Image: SWNS)
The ongoing war in Iran has had an unlikely knock-on effect; it is being blamed for a delay in Bristol Waste receiving an order of new recycling containers.
While not one of the more serious consequences of the conflict, the impact of ‘various global factors’ on shipping routes has meant there is a large backlog of people waiting to get new boxes, according to a Bristol Waste spokesperson.
“Unfortunately, we have had a significant delay in a new order of recycling containers due to various global factors impacting shipping routes,” the spokesperson said. “We appreciate people’s patience as we catch up on the backlog of orders, and we will have your new containers out to you as soon as we can.”
The spokesperson advised customers to continue to put out sorted recycling in bags or containers. According to the Bristol City Council website, people who don’t have any containers should sort their rubbish into different groups – plastics, cardboard, etc – and put each group into separate untied carrier bags.
A message on the BCC website, still displayed on Friday, May 15, said its waste company should have a new stock of black and green containers by April 24. However, the shortage is ongoing as of May 15.
The knock-on effects of Israel and the USA’s war on Iran have been felt around the world since they started the two allies started the conflict on February 28. Locally, a leading South Gloucestershire councillor also warned the fighting had the potential to ‘mess up’ the future of Bristol’s bus services.
A lack of containers, broken bins or missing lids can lead to lower rates of recycling if people decide just to put all their rubbish into general waste. Additionally, waste can blow away from old bins which are missing their lids.
Bristol City Council performs slightly above average when it comes to the amount of household waste which is sent for recycling. In 2024/25, the most recent year figures are available for, BCC had a household recycling rate of 44 per cent, according to data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The overall average rate for England was 42.0%, a 0.3 percentage point decrease from 2023/24.
The delayed containers are coming from India. A Bristol Waste spokesperson did not specify how global events were impacting shipping routes between India and the UK, but defended outsourcing the procurement of some containers to Indian suppliers.
“New containers are coming from producers in India as well as some orders from the UK and the EU,” the spokesperson said.
“As part of our commitment to Bristol, to the planet and to social value, we work with producers based on the following criteria: best price for the city, locality and environmental credentials of producers, and lead times to support service resilience. All of this adds up to an approach which meets our duty of care and our ambitious sustainability goals.
“We always look to procure sustainably and locally, and this is possible with many of our products and services. However, when this is not possible we ensure that the highest standards of due diligence are met.”