A major increase in the amount of waste left out by Bradford households is partly to blame for recent missed bin collections – according to Bradford Council.
The authority says that 1,600 additional tonnes of waste have been collected from homes across the District in recent months compared to the same period in 2025.
This increase has coincided with roadworks, traffic, vehicle breakdowns, poor parking on residential streets and staff sickness to create “additional pressure” on bin collections.
The Council revealed these details in response to criticism from the Conservative Group over a service they say is “letting residents down.”
The Tories have also urged Bradford’s new Reform leadership to re-open a tip that was shut down in 2024, and find replacements for closed tips in Ilkley and Queensbury that have since been sold by the Council.
In response to a number of missed bin collections in recent weeks, Councillor Rebecca Poulsen, Leader of the Conservative Group, said:
“Some of my Conservative Group colleagues and I are being regularly contacted by significant numbers of residents regarding problems with their waste collections.
“If it was a one off or infrequent incidents, we could explain this, and the reasons, to provide people with some reassurance. But the problem is becoming too regular and people are becoming weary of a wide range of explanations including, bins being too heavy, mechanical breakdown, illness, Eid and access problems.
“My colleagues and I do not think that it is unreasonable of residents to expect the council to have contingency measures in place to deal with all of these problems, none of them are unforeseeable.
“This problem was exacerbated recently when the decision was taken to not open the Household Waste Recycling Centres in Keighley and Bradford on Bank Holiday, without adequate forewarning.
“Understandably, many residents travelled to the centre and were left frustrated, with their refuse still on board and whilst I would like to think that most residents are responsible enough to take their waste to a HWRC on another day and would not opt to fly tip on their way home, it is not inconceivable that some would, which blights and costs us all.
"I raised the closure of Keighley HWRC on Bank Holiday Monday with the waste department who advised it was a policy decision to close it, but they did not communicate this and even the council website said it would be open.
“My colleagues and I argued against the Labour Council’s decision to close three Household Waste Recycling Centres in 2024, and we are now calling upon the new political leadership of the council to reverse this decision and to reopen Sugden End HWRC and to look at where provision could be sited in Ilkley and Queensbury where sites have been sold.
“This would reduce pressure on sites like Keighley where the public have to queue alongside bin wagons waiting to be emptied."
“The waste service is letting residents down too often and needs urgent improvement.”
A Bradford Council spokesperson said:
“We understand the frustration caused when a bin collection is missed and apologise to any residents affected.
“We complete millions of waste and recycling collections every year, with the vast majority collected on schedule.
“While a very small number of residents have reported missed bins, we recognise the inconvenience this causes and work hard to recover collections as quickly as possible.
“In recent months, the amount of waste and recycling presented by households has increased significantly, with over 1,600 additional tonnes collected compared to the same period last year.
“This increase, combined with factors such as roadworks, traffic, vehicle breakdowns, access issues and staff absence, has placed additional pressure on collection rounds.
“Our crews continue to work hard to maintain services, and we are taking steps to strengthen the service and improve resilience.
“Residents can also help by making full use of recycling services, avoiding putting additional side waste out for collection, wherever possible, and ensuring roads and collection points remain accessible.
“Incorrectly parked vehicles can prevent collection vehicles from reaching some streets and bins, leading to delays until access can be gained.
“We remain committed to providing a reliable waste and recycling service and will continue to monitor performance closely and make improvements where needed.”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has contacted Bradford Council to ask why officers believe there has been a rise in the amount of waste collected this year.
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