Householders in Swindon now must recycle their rubbish after the council made it ‘compulsory’.

The policy has been agreed as part of Euclid Street’s waste strategy as a way of increasing recycling rates in the borough, which languishes below 40 per cent.

Councillor Maureen Penny, the council’s cabinet member for transport and the environment, said: “We are hopeful that the changes we are making to Swindon’s waste services will help us to achieve the best possible environmental and economic outcomes for the town over the next decade.

“We are confident that our residents will support us as we start making the necessary steps towards becoming more sustainable and ensuring that our waste is dealt with in the most responsible way.”

Residents who don’t recycle paper, card, cans, glass or plastic properly will be encouraged to by visits and advice from waste wardens appointed by the authority.