The UK's second-largest city is in week five of a trash strike, and residents of Birmingham now have a second unpleasant problem as a result: rats drawn by piles of uncollected waste. The AP reports that the city is in the midst of a garbage crisis due to a prolonged strike by garbage collectors. Initiated by members of the Unite union, it began on March 11 over frustration about some eliminated jobs and pay cuts.
The growing piles of trash have made parts of the city, home to over 1 million residents, unmanageable and have been attracting rats, residents complain. "So many that the cats don't chase them," one resident tells the New York Times. As for how big those piles are, the Times reported there was an estimated 17,000 tons of trash piled up on the streets—one week ago. The city council has declared it a major incident in order to get Birmingham access to additional government and regional resources. The Times notes some garbage collection is occurring, and the city center has largely been serviced.
Naeem Yousef, a local, described trying to get an appointment to drop the waste off oneself as "like winning a lottery." Indeed, the AP notes drone footage taken by the BBC last week showed a mile-long wait to get into one dump site. "You can see the juice flowing out of the bags onto the road," Yousef said. "It stinks." Birmingham experienced a similar waste crisis in 2017; that one lasted seven weeks. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)
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