Food waste trial for flats coming soon in Swindon

People living in nearly 500 flats in Swindon, who currently do not have their food waste collected by the council, will soon be offered this service.

Swindon Borough Council collected food waste – leftovers, bones, skin, peelings and scraps – from nearly every house in the borough – about 85 per cent of the homes across the borough.

But until now many people living in flats have not been given the opportunity to have that waste collected, and have had to continue to put it in their ordinary rubbish.

But the law says that by next year all food waste must be collected from all homes.

Conservative Councillor Suresha Gattapur asked the cabinet member for environment and transport Councillor Chris Watts when the service was to be rolled out.

Cllr Watts said a trial, involving 488 flats on 12 different estates was due to start very soon.

He said: “A trial collection of communal food waste is due to commence in May this year in the West Swindon area. This will cover 12 estates with 488 individual flats.

“The trial includes the Penhill highrise flats of Seagry Court and Upavon Court. Using the lessons learned from the trial, plans will be put in place to extend the collections to all flats in the borough by the March 2026 deadline.”

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