Lichfield District Council has apologised after cancelling recycling and garden waste collections across the area due to scorching temperatures. Crews began work at 5am but made the decision to skip recycling rounds entirely, prioritising black bin collections instead. The council cited serious health hazards and worker safety as reasons for the cancellation.
Collection teams in Lichfield face gruelling conditions during extreme heat. Workers typically complete ten-hour shifts, walking over 12 miles daily while working behind hot vehicles with minimal shade or breaks. In yesterday's peak temperatures, sunstroke became a genuine risk to staff wellbeing. Following Health and Safety Executive guidance, Lichfield District Council made the difficult call to halt recycling collections to protect their crews.
Residents with Thursday recycling collections in Lichfield will have their bins emptied next week instead. However, garden waste subscribers face a longer delay. The council has confirmed that missed brown bins will not be collected as scheduled, with the authority promising extra collections later in the year during autumn leaf fall. Friday's garden waste collections are also cancelled due to continued high temperatures across Lichfield.