CIEH responds to ongoing Birmingham bin strikes

A spokesperson for the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), said:

“CIEH is concerned about the impact the ongoing dispute in Birmingham is having on public health and wellbeing in the communities affected.

“Waste which remains uncollected and not properly disposed of has the potential to create not only nuisance for the community from flies and vermin, but also public health risks, while increasing traffic queues on roads as the public visit recycling centres and mobile tips will contribute to worsened air quality.

“The skilled and dedicated environmental health professionals in Birmingham will be playing a critical role in keeping their communities safe and well during this challenging period and they will need the resources and tools to deal with any backlog of work created in the coming months.

“It is also important that work to improve the rates of recycling steps up in Birmingham and elsewhere in the UK, as we continue to lag behind other countries in this critical area. Recycling is vital for protecting the environment and conserving natural resources but will also reduce the over-reliance on waste disposal services.

“We hope the situation in Birmingham highlights the importance of recycling to improving the environments in which we live.”