19/01/07 - Cllr Tomlinson Congratulates David Wren's Green Waste Success

A free green waste collection service is proving a massive success, the latest figures from Swindon Borough Council reveal.

Residents have gone gardening mad since April and produced 4,500 tonnes of waste for composting – a huge 1,000 tonne increase on the same period last year. This includes green waste taken by residents to the recycling centre at Cheney Manor Industrial Estate. The average green kerbside collection per month is 328 tonnes.

The overall figures are also improving month by month. In April this year, 128.88 tonnes of green waste was collected.  This rose to 451.75 tonnes in September, before the annual dip in November.

Cllr David Wren, Cabinet Member for Environment, said:

“This is fantastic news.  I am pleased to hear the free service is proving so popular. In fact one resident in the Park South area put a staggering 35 bags out for collection! I hope this success story continues as compositing green waste helps reach our environmental targets, benefiting Swindon residents now and in the future.”

Swindon Borough Council introduced a green waste service in April 2004. This service became free in 2006 and is available to all households, helping the council to achieve Promise 49 to recycle, compost or treat more than 50 percent of household waste by 2010.

Grass cuttings, plants and weeds, tree and shrub pruning, twigs and small branches, hedge clippings, leaves and bark, pond plants and cut flowers are collected by the council every fortnight.

Swindon Borough Council cabinet member for recreation, leisure and culture, Cllr Justin Tomlinson, said: “This is an excellent achivement and, a credit to the local residents that the campaign has been such a success. It really shows what the community can do to and how we can all contribute to the improvement of the enviroment. This project is fantastic for the environment and for the local community as a whole and is a positive step forward by the Conservative council to help the environment"

The green waste must be put in a green sack which can be purchased independently.

The most popular green waste put out for collection is grass cuttings. This tends to be at its highest during the summer period, but it is also collected in high amounts during the spring and autumn.

During the summer a large amount of waste vegetation such as weeds and brambles are collected.

In winter many tree pruning and shrub cuttings are collected, and in the spring time a lot of dead plants are composted when people are preparing their gardens for new plants.

To find out more about the council’s recycling and compositing services, contact 01793 463463.