Residents of Birmingham are being strongly advised against burning household recycling amid ongoing concerns linked to the city’s persistent bin strike. The warning follows an incident in which a resident was administered oxygen after attempting to burn recycling materials inside their home.
The disruption began on 11 March when bin workers started an all-out strike due to a dispute over pay and job security. Since then, rubbish has been accumulating across Birmingham’s streets with no resolution yet in sight.
West Midlands Fire Service responded to the recent fire, which was contained to a single room and extinguished before the arrival of the crew. Paramedics and fire personnel provided oxygen treatment to the affected resident, though no injuries were reported. Firefighters used ventilation equipment to clear smoke and fumes from the property.
Emily Fernandez, Head of Prevention at West Midlands Fire Service, cautioned against such practices, stating, "Burning household recycling like cardboard, paper or plastics can be very dangerous, especially indoors. Please don’t burn your household waste or recycling. You could quickly be overcome by the smoke, or burned. Such fires can quickly get out of control and spread."
She advised residents whose recycling remains uncollected to store it safely until the next scheduled collection or, if possible, to take it to a household recycling centre. "Never try to burn it, you’re risking lives and property," Fernandez emphasised.
Meanwhile, efforts to resolve the strike continue. Fresh talks between Birmingham City Council and Unite the union are scheduled for May Day, with the conciliation service Acas set to participate for the first time in these negotiations.
In a related development, the city council announced that Craig Cooper, the executive director of city operations and the council’s bin manager during the strike, will be leaving his role in June. A search for his replacement will begin immediately, with Richard Brooks, who has been actively involved during the strike within the city operations department, stepping in as interim head.
Council leader John Cotton paid tribute to Cooper’s service, saying: “Craig has been an exceptional leader and a dedicated public servant. His contributions to the council and the city have been invaluable. We are grateful for his service and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”
The bin strike, now stretching over two months, continues to cause disruption to waste management in Birmingham, with mounting concerns about public safety and health amid uncollected rubbish on the city’s streets.
Source: Noah Wire Services