Record heatwave put Flintshire binmen at risk, council worker explains missed collections

Heat added to summer pressures

Goddard, the council’s streetscene service manager, said several operational difficulties coincided during the summer. He described the conditions as a “perfect storm,” and said worker safety was one of the factors behind missed collections.

He said his main responsibility was ensuring staff returned home safely, and that the service took this seriously. The account did not identify the other challenges that contributed to the disruption.

Recycling remained on target

Despite missed collections, the council remained on track to achieve the Welsh government’s national recycling target of 70% this year, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Councillors praised residents for largely accepting the three-weekly schedule for residual waste. A councillor said the change to three-weekly black-bin collections had proved beneficial, with recycling improving at the kerbside.

Landfill waste also fell

The council reduced the quantity of waste sent to landfill or Parc Adfer by 6,467.49 tonnes between 2024 and 2026. The reported improvement continued this year, despite the summer’s operational problems. The figures indicate that the council’s progress on waste reduction and recycling continued alongside collection disruption.