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Missed bin collection complaints in Wales up 39% in five years

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About 87,000 complaints were submitted to Welsh local authorities in 2018 over missed bin collections.

The number has risen by 39% over the past five years based on figures from 13 of the 22 councils in Wales.

Factors such as bad weather, austerity and councils making the complaints process easier online have contributed to the rise.

Cardiff Council, which recorded the highest figures, said only 0.09% of collections were missed.

The data, obtained via a freedom of information request by BBC Yorkshire, found councils across the England, Wales and Scotland recorded 1.8 million complaints about the non-collection of waste in 2018.

The rise in complaints in Wales was greater than the average rise of 32% across the UK.

In Wales, the area with the biggest total number of complaints last year was Cardiff, the nation's largest council, with 22,134, a 65% rise since 2014.

A spokesman for the council said: "In total, the council carries out approximately two million waste collections each month, so in total over 24 million waste collections are carried out each year.

"Looking at 2018, using the data available, an average of 99.91% of waste collections were carried out on time, so only 0.09% were missed.

"With all the waste collections carried out, we also suffer from vehicle breakdowns. Every effort is made to get vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible so that a normal service can be resumed."

Rubbish dumped by bins on the Wildmill estate in Bridgend
Piling-up: Complaints over waste collections rose by 41% in Wales

Gwynedd council said some collections can be missed "on occasion" in challenging weather or if a bin or box is not put out in time.

Most local authorities recorded rises in formal complaints, but Neath Port Talbot saw a 10% drop.

The best performing council was Ceredigion, which received 1,598 complaints.

The Welsh Government said: "Councils are responsible for their waste collection budgets and services. However we work closely with them as we work to meet our ambitious waste recycling targets. At present Wales is first in the UK, second in Europe and third in the world for household recycling."

Complaints by council

  • Cardiff - 22,134
  • Newport - 5,156
  • Caerphilly - 8,450
  • Conwy - 8,252
  • Gwynedd - 7,043
  • Powys - 5,419
  • Blaenau Gwent - 4,302
  • Bridgend - 4,003
  • Carmarthenshire - 3,956
  • Neath Port Talbot - 3,810
  • Pembrokeshire - 3,119
  • Torfaen - 3,102
  • Denbighshire - 2,962
  • Anglesey - 1,954
  • Merthyr Tydfil - 1,775
  • Ceredigion - 1,598

Flintshire, Monmouthshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Swansea, Wrexham and Vale of Glamorgan did not respond to the freedom of information request.