After almost a month of bin strikes in one Kent district and recycling being sent to landfill to keep up with collections, workers and the authority remain at a stalemate.

Binmen employed by Canenco - Canterbury City Council’s (CCC) environment company - walked out on July 5 and is operating at half of regular staffing levels.

Represented by the GMB union, workers are demanding £15 an hour for drivers and £12 an hour for loaders, and strike dates are confirmed until August 20.

Canenco says it is “managing to collect all black/household waste bins on time” during the industrial action.

The company added some 60% of garden waste bins are being emptied and is “maintaining a clinical waste service, collecting bulky waste, picking up flytips and picking up purple sacks”.

It insists it is providing this service with about 47% of the 81 staff needed to work normally.

However, the authority has also told the public “recycling can be placed in black bins if necessary” to ease pressures on collection routes.

Canterbury’s Green Party worry there will now be “an uphill battle to encourage people to recycle again,” following the strikes.

Cllr Andy Harvey, deputy leader of the Greens on the council, said: “We would rather they weren’t encouraging that but it’s a difficult position and it’s tricky what they can do.

“Anything that lowers recycling is a problem and food shouldn’t be going into landfill as it’s a pollutant and food decomposing in landfill releases methane and carbon dioxide.

“I’m sympathetic to the GMB and its workers. It is an awful job and not particularly good pay.”

But a council spokesman said: “Whichever method people are using to manage their own waste at the current time, we see absolutely no reason why recycling levels should not recover pretty swiftly at the end of the strike.”

On Wednesday morning, photos were posted on social media of waste dumped outside Canenco’s headquarters.

The council later told of how the bags were accompanied by a note to striking workers.

“I feel it is unfair to neglect your responsibilities of serving your local community,” it read.

“All these groups among many others heavily rely on the service you provide just like the service I provide - care in the community - and for that reason we cannot go on strike.

“We can’t just not go to work because we want more money. We have a duty of care. We made a commitment.

“We have a responsibility just like you and guess what? Carers don’t get paid enough either. Some not as much as you bin men.

“So to stand up to my commitment and responsibilities for the people I care for, I am clearing their rubbish for them by doing your job,” it ended.

GMB southern regional organiser Frank Macklin said: “[Canenco] is only getting the black bins done in the areas that are visible to the eye, cosmetically.

“If you were to drive around you’d see the bins getting done but if you were to go a little bit deeper particularly around the coastal areas and some of the larger estates in Canterbury where you've got the cul-de-sacs and closes, you’ll find that some of them haven’t been done, so it’s very selective.”

Some of the striking workers attended the meeting of CCC’s cabinet on August 1 to protest as the council approved a £235,000 move to reopen Sturry Road Park and Ride.

Outside the meeting, council leader Cllr Alan Baldock (Lab) spoke to binmen and “told us that an offer was imminent,” Mr Macklin claimed.

This comes despite council chiefs insisting another offer would not be forthcoming following four previous offers and Unison members agreeing a deal, which has been put to GMB.

Mr Macklin added: “Cllr Baldock has hinted that he wants conversations to take place between the union and ACAS [the government body which mediates industrial disputes] and the company and the council.

‘Whichever method people are using to manage their own waste at the current time, we see absolutely no reason why recycling levels should not recover...’

“Yet ACAS has been in touch with us and told us Canenco has told them that they're not interested in talking, they’ve got nothing new to say.”

Mr Macklin also said that “morale is good” among striking workers, and they’re prepared to hold out for an offer.

A Canenco spokesman said: "We and the council have been clear, there is no more money.

"Canenco has made a fair offer to members of the GMB.”

Unison members - the recognised union at Canenco - have accepted an offer of £14.45 an hour for drivers and £11.61 for loaders, which has been applied to all workers and backdated to April, including GMB members.

Canenco also slated GMB’s comparison with other areas’ pay in bin collection services.

"It's time they were open and transparent with the public which is being inconvenienced when it comes to recycling collections and their members in Canterbury who are losing pay hand over fist while standing on the picket line,” the spokesman added.