Cllr. David Thomas: Garden waste scheme hailed success after first year

Recycling in Torbay has been taking place now for 10 years and during that time we have continued to find ways to help you as residents to recycle more and to make it easier.
SWISCo, who are a wholly owned council company, are responsible for delivering our waste and recycling service to over 68,000 homes across Torbay. One of the schemes they run is the Garden Waste scheme, which has just reached its first anniversary of being in place.
If you are not aware of what the Garden Waste scheme is, it’s where for £50 a year you are supplied with a 240-litre brown wheeled bin to put in all your garden waste. It is then collected fortnightly direct from your home.
I am one of those who signed up when the scheme launched, and I would totally agree with the positive feedback I’ve heard about it. I have really noticed the difference it makes. It certainly saves having to pile your grass cuttings into the car to make the journey to the tip. You then have the added job of cleaning the car out afterwards. It has also really encouraged more folk to get out into the garden more. Personally, we have also noticed it is making it easier for us to collect the waste as we can pull the bin around the garden with us.
Since the scheme began at the end of October last year, more than 2,600 tonnes of garden waste have been collected. The types of garden waste the scheme can take includes grass cuttings, flowers, small tree branches, loose leaves, shrub and hedge trimmings and weeds. Once picked up from your home, it then takes the short journey to a farm in Marldon, where it is then composted.
If you haven’t joined the scheme, I would really recommend it. Now is a great time to do it, especially as the leaves are falling from the trees. It is quick and easy to sign up and can be done on Torbay Council’s website or by calling 01803 701310. It also doesn’t matter what time of year you sign up as you will get a full 12 months collection. If you signed up a year ago, SWISCo are now sending around your renewal form, keep an eye out for it.
SWISCo also want to educate us on decreasing the amount of food waste that is being disposed of in our black wheeled bins. In one year alone, a staggering 6,000 tonnes of food waste was found in the Bay’s general waste bins. The processing of our food waste produces biogas from which we can harness valuable energy. Mixing food waste with general waste means we can’t access that energy. Little changes we can all make include recycling teabags, which apparently by just recycling six of them can produce enough energy to boil water for your next cuppa. It really does show that every little helps.
Finally, I want to pass on my congratulations to SWISCo and their Waste and Recycling Team as earlier this month they won the Best Partnership award at the Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committee Awards.
The project that won the team this award was their work on refurbishing bikes which have been discarded at the Waste and Recycling Centre. The refurbished bikes are then made available to Torbay residents to buy at an affordable price.
The way this project works is that SWISCo acts as the project lead, providing the bikes, who then are passed to HMP Channings Wood who provides the workforce and workspace. Weston College provides the tutor for the programme and, finally, LEX Leisure sell back to the community. Another great outcome from this partnership is that the offenders at Channings Wood who take part in the refurbishment, all receive the EAL Level two Cycle Maintenance qualification. This enhances their employment opportunities once released.
Congratulations to the partners involved who all provide a valuable contribution to the process.