Continuing on what has become a national trend for when a new boat or truck needs naming, Swindon Borough Council turned to residents for inspiration in naming their new waste and recycling lorry fleet.
Ahead of the biggest changes to the Borough’s waste and recycling collections for 15 years, the Council asked residents to name the new collection lorries in order to generate heightened interest and awareness of the major upcoming changes.
Over 300 imaginative suggestions poured in from residents when the competition kicked off a couple of months ago, and after careful consideration, 17 winning names were selected.
Drawing inspiration from Swindon’s notable personalities in both screen and sport, the names include nods to actress Billie Piper and Swindon Town’s star striker, Charlie Austin. Additionally, the list boasts creatively themed monikers like Lightning McQueen and Crash Bandicoot, adding a touch of popular culture to the local waste management scene.
The unveiling of these uniquely named lorries aligns with the launch of the council’s new food waste collection service across the entire borough which is due to commence next week.
Households have one more collection on the current service before the changes are implemented and the new lorries are out collecting recycling across Swindon.
The final names were chosen by Leader of the Council, Councillor Jim Robbins, Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for The Environment and Transport, and members of the waste and recycling project team.
The winning names are:
- Lightning McClean
- Binny McBinface
- Chitty Chitty Bin Bin
- Binderella
- Trash bandicoot
- Binnie Piper
- Melinda Messcollector
- Binnie the Pooh
- Isambard Bin-dom Brunel
- Rex The Recycler
- Charlie Aust-bin
- Hungry Caterpillar
- Recyclosaurus
- Scrappie-doo
- Humpty Dumpy
- Monster Munch
- Dumpeldore
Councillor Chris Watts, Cabinet Member for The Environment and Transport, said: “It was great to see so many people getting involved with the naming of our new vehicles.
“A big thank you to everyone who submitted a name and I hope people aren’t too disappointed if their name wasn’t chosen.”
The changes to the waste and recycling service come into effect from Monday, 27 November. More information and how residents can be prepared can be found on the council’s website here
To ensure a seamless transition, residents should adhere to the following guidelines for waste and recycling:
- General waste in wheelie bin or blue bags
- Paper and card recycling in one of the existing black/orange recycling boxes
- Glass recycling in one of the existing black/orange recycling boxes
- Plastic and metal recycling in the new weighted bag
- Food waste in the large outdoor food waste bin
Each household has received one weighted bag, and residents are advised to compact their recycling to maximise space. In the event of missed deliveries for new recycling containers, residents can report it on the Council’s website.
Under the revamped system, food waste will be collected weekly, while general waste and other recycling will be collected fortnightly.
Residents who live in a property with a communal bin store are not affected by the changes at this time, so don’t need any new containers.
