Swindon Implements Bin Collection Changes to Improve Recycling Rates

Residents in Swindon, a Wiltshire town, will experience a permanent adjustment to their bin collection schedule, with days moving forward by two working days, effective December 25. This change is part of a broader initiative in Swindon aimed at addressing low recycling rates and preventing a backlog of approximately 40,000 collections, which led to significant issues in 2023. The town currently records a recycling rate of 37%, which is considerably lower than the government’s 65% target and positions it as the poorest performer within the region. Chris Watts, cabinet member for environment and transport at Swindon Borough Council, stated, “Previously maybe not enough effort has been put in to bringing in a new system for recycling and now we can build on one to try and drive those figures up.” The implementation of the new system commences immediately on Christmas Day, which occurs on a Wednesday this year. Residents whose waste is typically collected on a Wednesday are now instructed to place their bins out on Fridays. Similarly, those accustomed to Thursday collections will now put their bins out for collection on Mondays. These revised collection dates are set to remain in effect until next year, at which point they will be adjusted forward once more. In the previous year, the introduction of a new system combined with a suspension of services over the Christmas period resulted in a waste collection backlog that required weeks to resolve and incurred a £2 million overspend for the council. Mr. Watts commented, “Not having that backlog will make a huge difference and will save us a lot of money.” He added, “Like other councils, we’re in a hard pressed position and we’ve got to take that into consideration.” It was disclosed last month that Swindon Council is projected to exceed its budget by £10 million by the conclusion of the financial year, unless measures to save costs are implemented. The council indicated that enhancing recycling rates would contribute to saving funds and achieving environmental objectives. Mr. Watts stated, “We’ve gone from 30% to 37% relatively quickly and there are numerous levers we can pull that can help us get up to that 65% national target by 2030.” He further explained, “At the moment it costs us £150 to incinerate every tonne of black bin waste and the more we can keep out of them, the more we can invest in recycling which is an income for us.” Local authorities generate revenue from recycling by selling collected waste to companies that subsequently process these materials. The collection of waste represents a significant expenditure for local authorities. A leaked document earlier this month indicated that Bristol City Council was contemplating reducing black bin collections to a monthly frequency in an effort to decrease costs and increase recycling. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.