THE council has revealed how much mixed recycling was by picked up by the council’s waste crews over the course of nine weeks at Christmas.  

And it amounted to the equivalent of around 181 double decker buses.  

A total of 2,358 tonnes of mixed recycling were collected, including around 416 tonnes of plastic.

Households across Swindon recycled almost 20 per cent more waste over the holiday period compared with the nine weeks preceding December 2020.  

A council spokesman said: “Not only is it considerably cheaper for the council to dispose of recycled waste, recycling also carries huge environmental benefits, helping to conserve the planet’s natural resources.  

“In January, residents were also invited to take advantage of the council’s Christmas tree collection service. The service proved so popular it was extended for a further two weeks.” 

Made up largely of Christmas trees, 235 tonnes of garden were collected in January. The trees were shredded and turned into wood chippings or compost.  

Coun Maureen Penny, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for highways, maintenance and waste services, said: “Christmas is a really busy time of the year for our crews and we always see an increase in the amount of waste and recycling put out for collection during the festive period. 

“I would like to thank our residents for their tremendous efforts to recycle 2,358 tonnes of paper, cans, glass bottles and more. By choosing to recycle these materials, our residents have helped to divert waste away from landfill so it can be transformed into new products. 

“I’d also like to thank the crews for their tireless efforts to collect Swindon’s waste and recycling, despite the many challenges the pandemic has thrown their way.”