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4 January 2011
Last updated at 08:25 ET
Councils have been accused of a "massive failure" over a backlog of uncollected rubbish as problems persist in some parts of the country.
The Taxpayers' Alliance said delays of up to four weeks in collection were "unacceptable".
In Birmingham, binmen involved in a pay row have voted for more strikes.
The Local Government Association said councils had done a "terrific job" in exceptional circumstances and were working hard to clear any backlogs.
Councils have blamed severe winter weather, and in particular icy roads, for preventing normal collections for several weeks.
The problem has been exacerbated by the festive break and the increased amount of waste produced by households over Christmas and New Year.
There are concerns the situation could encourage rats and cause other health hazards.
Council tax rises The Taxpayers' Alliance, a pressure group which wants to see lower taxes, said councils should have planned better.
"It's a massive failure that councils have left some residents with rubbish uncollected for weeks," campaign manager Charlotte Linacre said.
"This is exactly the type of service that taxpayers expect to see performed properly and regularly.
"Council tax has nearly doubled in the last 10 years so taxpayers are shocked when local governments seem incapable of providing basic services."
Problems have been reported across the UK, with Birmingham, Exeter, north London and parts of Merseyside among the worst affected.
Council staff in some areas have worked extra shifts over the weekend and on bank holiday Monday, and casual workers have been called in to help.
But the leader of Exeter City Council, Pete Edwards, told the BBC on Tuesday he did not believe it was necessary for refuse collectors to work on Christmas bank holidays.
With regard to fears over rubbish piling up in the street, he added: "I do not see it as a major problem."
The area around Exeter University is reportedly among the worst affected in the town, with rubbish left by students at the end of term in December still awaiting collection.
In Wirral, where rubbish has been left for up to four weeks, the council said it had "agreed extra resources to get all collections fully up to date" by Wednesday.
Working to rule In Birmingham, the city council apologised for the disruption and promised to have the backlog cleared by Friday.
But the situation has been made worse by industrial action, which led to binmen walking out on 20 December in a pay dispute and subsequently working to rule.
Now staff have voted to take two further half-days of strike action in mid-January as part of a dispute over equal pay for male and female staff.
Local Government Minister Bob Neill has said it is "disappointing" that councils have not shown "more initiative" in planning for the festive period.
But a Local Government Association spokesman said the exceptional weather had been the major factor hitting councils.
"They have done a terrific job trying to keep up the service and are working extremely hard to clear any backlogs," he added.
Are you still waiting for the bins to be collected in your area? How long has it been since your last collection? You can send us your experiences using the form below. You can also send us photos and videos of the situation where you are.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
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The Taxpayers' Alliance said delays of up to four weeks in collection were "unacceptable".
In Birmingham, binmen involved in a pay row have voted for more strikes.
The Local Government Association said councils had done a "terrific job" in exceptional circumstances and were working hard to clear any backlogs.
Councils have blamed severe winter weather, and in particular icy roads, for preventing normal collections for several weeks.
The problem has been exacerbated by the festive break and the increased amount of waste produced by households over Christmas and New Year.
There are concerns the situation could encourage rats and cause other health hazards.
Council tax rises The Taxpayers' Alliance, a pressure group which wants to see lower taxes, said councils should have planned better.
"It's a massive failure that councils have left some residents with rubbish uncollected for weeks," campaign manager Charlotte Linacre said.
"This is exactly the type of service that taxpayers expect to see performed properly and regularly.
"Council tax has nearly doubled in the last 10 years so taxpayers are shocked when local governments seem incapable of providing basic services."
Problems have been reported across the UK, with Birmingham, Exeter, north London and parts of Merseyside among the worst affected.
Council staff in some areas have worked extra shifts over the weekend and on bank holiday Monday, and casual workers have been called in to help.
But the leader of Exeter City Council, Pete Edwards, told the BBC on Tuesday he did not believe it was necessary for refuse collectors to work on Christmas bank holidays.
With regard to fears over rubbish piling up in the street, he added: "I do not see it as a major problem."
The area around Exeter University is reportedly among the worst affected in the town, with rubbish left by students at the end of term in December still awaiting collection.
In Wirral, where rubbish has been left for up to four weeks, the council said it had "agreed extra resources to get all collections fully up to date" by Wednesday.
Working to rule In Birmingham, the city council apologised for the disruption and promised to have the backlog cleared by Friday.
But the situation has been made worse by industrial action, which led to binmen walking out on 20 December in a pay dispute and subsequently working to rule.
Now staff have voted to take two further half-days of strike action in mid-January as part of a dispute over equal pay for male and female staff.
Local Government Minister Bob Neill has said it is "disappointing" that councils have not shown "more initiative" in planning for the festive period.
But a Local Government Association spokesman said the exceptional weather had been the major factor hitting councils.
"They have done a terrific job trying to keep up the service and are working extremely hard to clear any backlogs," he added.
Are you still waiting for the bins to be collected in your area? How long has it been since your last collection? You can send us your experiences using the form below. You can also send us photos and videos of the situation where you are.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Read the terms and conditions
Online Business Consulting | Internet Business Consulting