Unanswered calls to Antrim and Newtownabbey council 'almost doubled' during period of bin changes and collection complaints

Members of the council’s Policy and Governance Committee were informed at a recent meeting that call “abandonment” increased from 6.5 per cent to 11.8 per cent which was attributed to an increase in calls associated with bin ‘harmonisation’ and service delivery issues relating to Bryson Recycling.

A phased roll-out of a triple stack wheelie box recycling system, already in operation in the Newtownabbey area of the borough, was extended to 23,000 households, commencing last September, in the Antrim, Randalstown, Crumlin, Templepatrick and Toomebridge area.

Councillors were told previously that delivery of wheelie boxes and black bins, along with the uplift of blue bins and the legacy 240-litre black bins which were replaced with a 180-litre model for non-recyclables, was completed as scheduled by the week commencing November 17. The distribution phase was undertaken over an 11-week period.

Speaking at the committee meeting, Threemilewater Ulster Unionist Councillor Stephen Cosgrove said: “Given what has happened through the bin harmonisation programme, we could learn lessons from this given the fact it was going to be such a massive roll-out and did couple with the fact we had a pretty bad winter.”

Cllr Cosgrove asked if the council could put a system in place, such as bringing in more staff, if “something similar” happened in the future.

An officer told the committee that council staff “tried to mitigate throughout the process”.

“Although we did not meet the target, we were able to rein things back as best we could but we are always trying to continually improve,” she stated.

She indicated that this may include a message on an answering machine in a bid to respond to residents “faster and more efficiently”.

Cllr Cosgrove said that there is “nothing more frustrating than not being answered on the phone”.

“We need to be different,” he stressed.

“I am pleased to hear we are taking lessons from that and hopefully we are better prepared if something like that happens again.”

A total of 124 complaints about bin collections were received by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council between September and December 2025.

A council response to a Freedom of Information request showed the highest number, 14, came from residents in the Airport District Electoral Area (DEA) during December, followed by 13, in Antrim, the same month; 10 in Glengormley; six in Ballyclare; three in Dunsilly; three in Threemilewater and one in Macedon.

In November, there were seven bin complaints in Airport DEA, eight each in Antrim and Dunsilly; five in Macedon; four each in Ballyclare, Glengormley and Threemilewater. There were 20 bin complaints in October across the seven DEAs and 14 in September.

In December, elected representatives demanded that contractor Bryson Recycling be brought into the chamber to provide an explanation for its performance, which saw delays in bins being emptied in Antrim and Newtownabbey and to provide an update on the waste harmonisation project.

At a full council meeting on January 26, Bryson Group CEO Shane Logan apologised to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for levels of service, which he said, “fell short of those residents and ratepayers have the right to expect”.

Mr Logan was responding to criticism locally over waste and recycling collection service issues reporting “teething problems” implementing the new system.

He explained the main problems were with driver shortage, “spike” of illness during late November and December and days lost due to weather. He explained that a usual contingency plan to “over-resource” drivers fell short by two to four drivers.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council was the first local authority to introduce the triple stack bin system. These bins have been in operation in Newtownabbey since 2016 covering 37,000 households.

In its FOI response, the council stated it would not be reconsidering the wheelie box system.