A Birmingham pensioner has revealed she is facing the festive season with dread, as a long-running bin strike means she still has recycling from last Christmas stored in her cramped hallway.
A year of mounting waste
Lorraine Boyce, a resident of Kings Norton in her eighties, has been forced to use her hallway and shed to store a growing mountain of bottles, cardboard, paper, and plastic. The situation began when industrial action hit the city's refuse workers in January, with an all-out strike commencing in March.
While Birmingham City Council has continued to collect general household waste, recycling collections remain suspended. Lorraine believes some of the items at the bottom of her pile could date back to the festive period of 2024, as she missed a collection while she was away.
'It's still depressing' says frustrated resident
Speaking to BirminghamLive while delivering Christmas cards, Lorraine expressed her frustration. "I'm really fed up - it's ridiculous," she said. "I don't want to put recycling with general waste."
She acknowledged that at least the stored items do not create an unhealthy smell as there is no food waste, but emphasised the psychological toll. "It's horrible... it's still depressing," Lorraine stated, adding that families larger than her own must be struggling far more.
The pensioner questioned the impact of the dispute, saying, "I honestly think neither the union nor the bin workers are thinking about what it's like for people. They're inconveniencing hundreds of thousands of families." Despite her anger, she admitted she still holds "some sympathy" for the striking workforce.
No end in sight as new 'megapicket' looms
Lorraine's plight highlights the ongoing deadlock between Birmingham City Council and the Unite union. Council Leader John Cotton has recently stated his 'door remains open' for talks but admitted he is not currently involved in negotiations.
Meanwhile, Unite is planning a third 'megapicket' in the city next month, signalling no immediate resolution. Since first appearing in the news, Lorraine has received some help from family and a kind stranger named Adam from Selly Park, but with Christmas approaching, she fears the pile will start building up again.
"I could do with some help because it will start building up again," she said, summing up the anxiety shared by many residents across Birmingham as the industrial dispute rumbles into a new year.
