A change to waste and recycling collections across all households in Swindon was a “real success” and helped prevent a backlog of 40,000 missed collections over the festive period, according to the man in charge of waste at Swindon Borough Council.
Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, has confirmed that the change, which saw collection days move by two working days across the Borough to prevent a backlog occurring from collections scheduled for Christmas Day or Boxing Day, will be repeated over the next festive period.
The new recycling schedule, which was a permanent switch to people’s collections for 2025, was designed to accommodate the increased volume of waste generated during the Christmas holidays, while also improving efficiency and maintaining a reliable service for residents. The changes involved moving residents’ usual collection dates by two working days.
Alongside the new collection days, the Council deployed four additional recycling vehicles that provided extra capacity to support the fleet of permanent recycling lorries. By deploying these vehicles, and shifting collection days, the Council saved more than £100,000 in costs associated with festive waste and recycling compared to the previous year.
The Council ran a comprehensive campaign to inform residents of the changes. All affected households with a wheelie bin received a bin hanger with further information, while postcards were sent to households who receive blue bag or assisted collections. Future waste and recycling days continue to be visible via an online search tool when residents enter their postcode.
With the support of residents putting out their bins correctly, the Council saw an 88 per cent reduction in justified missed collections when comparing the latest Christmas (2024-25) with the previous year, which saw wider service changes to waste and recycling collections rolled out.
Councillor Chris Watts, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, said, “I would like to thank the residents of Swindon for the overwhelming support and cooperation that was undoubtedly the backbone to the success of the change.
“Based on the smooth execution of the new schedule, I believe it makes sense to continue this approach in the future, ensuring that we’re supporting our residents in their recycling efforts.
“Negating the 40,000 deficit also means the crews can enjoy their well-earned Christmas break and not worry about returning to an extended backlog. It’s clear that these changes were a real success in managing the increased volume of recyclables over the festive period, which can often be a challenge. We will continue to reflect on the changes made this year and share precise details on our plans for Christmas 2025 later in the year.
“This initiative not only helped with waste management, but also aligns with our long-term commitment to sustainability and building a greener Swindon. We’ll continue to monitor the success of these changes and look for ways to further improve our services in the years to come.”
Confirmation of the Council’s future approach to waste and recycling collections over Christmas and New Year will be shared later in the year.