Changes to waste and recycling collections

The main reason we have made these changes is because we are rolling out weekly food waste collections to the majority of households in Swindon.

To do this in an efficient way, we need to change the way we collect other materials as we need new vehicles that have food waste sections in them. 

This also aligns with national changes. The Environment Act 2021, which was passed in November 2021, says that local authorities need to provide a separate food waste collection from 2023.

You now need to put your waste and recycling out as follows: 

• General waste in your black wheelie bin or blue bags 
• Plastic and metal recycling in your new weighted bag
• Paper and card recycling in one of your existing recycling boxes 
• Glass recycling in one of your existing recycling boxes
• Food waste in large outdoor food waste bin  

There are two methods of collecting recycling in England:

• kerbside sort, where residents separate their waste
• co-mingled where all the recycling goes into a bin and it is then sorted mechanically in a material recycling facility

Swindon uses the kerbside sort method of collection as it helps us recycle more and recycle closer to home.

It has also been shown to:

• produce better sorted recycling with less ‘contamination’ by other materials, which the UK processors prefer and find more valuable
• save carbon – there’s no need for the very heavy carbon footprint of an energy hungry material recycling facilities that separates everything
• be financially better – a better price is given for the recycling that we sell to re-processors

You can use the black and/or orange recycling boxes you already have. If you don't have these already, you can order recycling boxes through our website.

Remember to squash your recycling to fit as much in each bag as possible. You can also place additional recycling in any other sturdy box, as long as it is separated correctly, for instance, metal and plastic recycling together.

You can collect a second weighted bag from your local core library, at no extra cost. The core libraries are: 

• Central Library
• Highworth Library
• North Swindon Library 
• Park Library
• West Swindon Parish Council Office 

We won't change how often we make collections, but your collection days may change. Food waste will be collected weekly.

Properties that have a communal bin store will not be affected by the change at this time. The new service will be rolled out to some communal properties at a later stage of the project.

No, we will still collect your waste from your agreed assisted collection point.

You can use our Waste Wizard to enter an item and see where you should put it for recycling.

You can check your new collection days using our online collection calendar.

If you haven't yet received your new weighted blue bag and/or food waste caddies you can report a missed container delivery. If you live in a property with a communal bin store, you are not affected by the changes at this time, so you don’t need these containers. 

If you have more than two weeks between your wheelie bin (refuse) collections, please place any excess waste in a refuse bag next to your bin on your first new collection date (after week commencing 27 November). Crews will take it on that occasion.

This service will only be available to people who have an extended period between collections due to the changeover and will only happen for wheelie bin (refuse) collections scheduled between 27 November and 8 December. Excess recycling can be put out for any collections, as long as it is sorted correctly and is not bagged but placed in a sturdy container.