Changes to Household Recycling Collections Announced

Kerbside household recycling collections will become fortnightly from the start of next month.

The current weekly recycling collection service goes fortnightly from Monday, 3th February 2014, so from this date onwards residents are asked to put out their recycling on the next day they are due a wheelie bin or blue bag collection for general waste. They should also put plastics in clear bags out on this day.

An additional recycle box is available for households which don’t have enough space in their existing boxes to accommodate this service change. These are available for collection from Monday, 27th January 2014 at the following collection points across the Borough during the normal venue opening hours: Dorcan Leisure Centre, Croft Leisure Centre, Highworth Rec, North Swindon Library, West Swindon Library and Pinetrees Community Centre.

Residents who wish to dispose of their recycling before their next collection can also take it to the recycling banks at various supermarkets and other locations across the Borough. Details of locations are online at www.swindon.gov.uk/recycling

Following public consultation last autumn, these changes to the recycling service were approved at a special Cabinet meeting on Thursday, 2 January 2014. Residents were broadly supportive of the recycling proposal, although some said they didn’t have enough room in their current boxes and would require an extra or larger boxes.

The council is facing considerable financial pressures, with an estimated budget gap of £15million for 2014/15 due to funding reductions, rising demand and inflation. This service change, which is how the majority of local authorities already operate, will produce significant savings and help reduce the need to make cuts in other frontline services.