Households across Birmingham are still feeling the effects of the city's bin strike, which began earlier this year. Birmingham City Council says general waste is being collected largely on schedule, but recycling collections have remained suspended throughout the dispute between the council and the Unite union.
Residents spoken to by the BBC described storing recycling at home for months and dealing with overflowing communal bin stores. One pensioner in Kings Norton said she had been keeping bottles, cardboard and plastic in her hallway for six months. Without a car, she cannot get to a tip herself.
Refuse workers voted last month to extend the walkout until at least next March, meaning disruption could last a full year. The council says it is pressing ahead with changes to its waste service. Unite says the dispute centres on workers facing pay cuts of up to £8,000 a year.
Source: BBC News