A small sticker seems to be making a surprisingly big difference in Swindon’s efforts to cut down on waste. After a successful trial in West Swindon, bright ‘No food waste’ labels are now being rolled out across the entire Borough, taking pride of place on household wheelie bins.
Earlier this year, 1,800 homes took part in the pilot scheme. The results were hard to ignore: an 11 per cent rise in food waste recycling tonnages across the trial area. The idea is as straightforward as it sounds—give residents a clear reminder and they’ll think twice before tossing leftovers into their general waste bin.
Council teams have already begun applying the stickers and will continue the task over the next few months. The aim is simple: encourage residents to make full use of their weekly food waste collections.
Households can recycle everything from fruit peelings and vegetable trimmings to bread, dairy, fish, meat and even plate scrapings. Anyone needing a food waste caddy can request one through the Council’s website.
Once collected, Swindon’s food waste heads to an anaerobic digestion plant, where it’s transformed into green energy and nutrient-rich fertiliser—helping power homes and supporting farming.
Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, says the trial has shown just how effective a small nudge can be.
“This is a simple reminder, but one that clearly works. The stickers encourage people to pause and think before adding food to their general rubbish,” he said. “Recycling more of our food waste cuts disposal costs, lowers our carbon footprint and turns something unwanted into renewable energy.
“Every tonne of general household waste costs around £140 to dispose of, so every banana skin, tea bag or crust of bread that goes into the caddy instead of the wheelie bin makes a difference.”
More details about recycling services—including how to order caddies—can be found on the Swindon Borough Council website.
