Fortnightly recycling box collections to resume in Swindon

Last month, Swindon Borough Council had to take the difficult decision to change the frequency of its recycling box collection service due to staff shortages caused by a number of factors including people needing to self-isolate and a national lack of qualified HGV drivers.

Similar issues have affected a number of councils and businesses across the country.

The recruitment of some additional HGV drivers and changes to legislation around self-isolation will allow the Council to resume its standard recycling service from next Monday (16 August).

Those households who were due to receive their revised recycling collection this week (w/c 9 August), will have their waste collected as planned. 

Fortnightly recycling box collections will then resume from 16 August and residents will return to their regular collection schedule. Residents can remind themselves of their usual collection days by typing their address into the collections calendar on the Council’s website at: www.swindon.gov.uk/rubbishcollectiondays

The Council is expecting to see a significant amount of additional recycling presented when the standard service returns and this could result in pressure on the collections service provided.

Residents are asked for their patience and understanding while the Council gets the standard service back up and running.

To help households clear any backlog of recycling they may have acquired during the temporary changes to collections, the crews will be collecting additional recycling over the next few weeks, providing it is sorted correctly and presented in sturdy containers. For example:

• Large plastic storage tubs
• Cardboard boxes (for paper and card only)
• Large buckets
• Bags - as long as materials are separated (e.g. glass in one bag and metal in another bag). Bags should not be too heavy or overfilled.

Any residents who do not have space in their recycling boxes or sturdy containers for any additional cardboard, should break it down into manageable pieces and tie it up – then place it neatly next to their recycling boxes ready for collection.

Recycling can also be taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Cheney Manor. Residents can book a slot at www.swindon.gov.uk/hwrc or by calling Customer Services.

Councillor Kevin Parry, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Service Delivery, Waste and Transport, said: “I would firstly like to apologise to residents for the disruption to their recycling box collections over the last four weeks and thank them for bearing with us while we resolved our staffing issues within the waste and recycling service.

“Changing the frequency of collections was not an easy decision to make, but it was necessary so that we could prioritise the collection of perishable waste at the height of summer.

“Up to this point, our hard-working and dedicated team had kept all waste and recycling collection services fully operational since the first lockdown in March 2020 with the exception of a short, two-week pause on the garden waste collection service. I’d like to extend my thanks to the crews for doing such a terrific job in very challenging circumstances.

“While I am very pleased that we will be able to resume our full recycling service for residents from Monday (16 Aug), we are expecting to see a huge amount of additional recycling put out for collection and this could result in pressure on the service we provide.

“We’d like to ask residents for their support and understanding whilst we restart the service.”

Residents are being encouraged to share this information with any friends, family or neighbours that live in Swindon Borough, particularly those they know don’t have internet access.