Brighton & Hove and East Suffolk councils grapple with missed waste collections

In Brighton and Hove, a heatwave overwhelmed the council’s refuse service, leading to a surge in missed rubbish, recycling and garden-waste collections. Conservative councillor Alistair McNair warned the rate of missed collections was “appalling” and questioned the readiness for a shift to fortnightly rounds. Labour cabinet member Tim Rowkins said extreme heat hampered staff wearing protective equipment and highlighted a backlog of uncollected bins, while new vehicles are only expected to arrive by December.

In East Suffolk, residents have endured weeks of missed bin collections after the government’s Better Recycling scheme was introduced on 1 June. The council issued a breach‑of‑contract notice to East Suffolk Services Limited and deputy leader Paul Ashton said the problems reflected deeper operational issues, not just the rollout. Households paying for optional green‑waste collection have received no blanket refunds, and residents are urged to report missed bins for individual follow‑up.