Councillor Stephen Cowan, Leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, has pledged to personally investigate instances of missed bin collections following concerns raised by a councillor.
During a Cabinet meeting on Monday, 13 April 2026, Councillor Cowan stated that while the borough boasts one of the best waste collection services in Britain, with weekly collections still provided by only ten councils nationally, occasional issues can occur. The council's commitment to weekly collections is a key metric in its claim to have one of the best services in the country.
I will personally look into that case,
Councillor Cowan assured, responding to a councillor's frustration over consistent missed refuse collections. Things do get missed sometimes, but if there's a consistent pattern, we will look at it, understand what's happening, and we'll fix it, because it's unlikely to just be you.
He added that he would be interested to see what is behind these issues, noting that the waste management contractor, Veolia, is implementing AI technology to improve sorting efficiency. Veolia is fitting AI to the back of lorries to do some of the separating out much cleverer with using the latest tech.
Councillor Cowan highlighted that Hammersmith and Fulham is one of only ten councils in the country still carrying out weekly collections, a frequency that contrasts with the national average where many councils have reduced collection schedules. He stated, we do have, when you look up the statistics, one of the best waste collection services in Britain, and we are one of only ten councils in the country who are still carrying out weekly collections.
