Disposing of, and Recycling, Household Waste

'Household waste' is all the things that Swindon families throw out. To most people that means the rubbish they put into black bags, ready for our weekly collection, but that is only half the story.

These days, only a part of Swindon's household waste is discarded because Swindon Commercial Services now runs an advanced recycling operation.

Waste Services - Our Promises to You

• We will increase the recycling and composting rate each year up to 2010, at which time we will be diverting 50% of waste from landfill. We will publish how we are doing each year
• We will collect your refuse and recyclables on the published day and at the frequency stated. If we should make a slip, we will collect it within 24hrs of your report of a missed collection.
• We will collect your garden waste at the published frequency and make sure it is composted. This includes your Christmas tree.
• We will publish all your waste collection dates on this web site.
• We will collect bulky waste for the agreed fee within 10 working days of your request.
• We will provide a free weekly collection of clinical waste if requested by your health professional.
• If you have difficulty putting out your residual waste or recyclables for collection we will provide a special service for you at no cost.
• We will provide a site seven days a week  for you to take bulk waste to and maximise your opportunities to recycle such wastes.
• We will provide a network of recycling banks at convenient locations and empty them regularly.
• We will encourage good citizenship by making available presentations by specialist officers to schools and other groups on important waste issues such as resource depletion (using up natural resources like fossil fuels and mineral ores), global warming and scarcity of landfill facilities.
• We will provide facilities for the collection of difficult wastes such as bonded asbestos cement.
• We will continually look for new opportunities to divert your waste from landfill and will research the latest technologies to treat waste so that it is a resource rather than land-filled.
• In partnership with local parish and town councils within the borough we will provide a network of dog bins which will be serviced weekly.

Some Swindon people still refer to our Household Waste Recycling Centre in Cheney Manor Industrial Estate as 'The Tip' ... but that is no longer an appropriate name. Think of it as a recycling centre, where you can bring a wide range of materials for recycling and get rid of items requiring special consideration, like fridges and freezers. We also manage the disposal of hazardous materials, such as asbestos, oil and paint substances.

Add to this the kerbside recycling of materials like cardboard and paper, which we collect from most areas of the town each week, and you begin to get an idea of the scale of the operation.

But There's More ...

Our 'bring sites', including bottle banks and waste paper skips and much more besides are spread throughout the town, allowing you to dispose of, and us to recycle, a wide range of materials.

And don't forget garden waste. Swindon Services encourages home composting and also operates a collection of garden waste for composting.

An excellent source of recycling information, including 'clickable' maps, is the Recycle-More website: (www.recycle-more.co.uk). It includes up-to-date information, with local data maintained directly by Swindon Borough Council.

Further Information

For all queries regarding waste and recycling, please contact:

Postal Enquiries:

Swindon Commercial Services
Waterside Park
Darby Close
Cheney Manor Industrial Estate
Swindon
SN2 2DW

Telephone:

Telephone: 01793 463463 (Monday to Thursday 8.30am-5.00pm and Friday 8.30am-4.30pm).