SWISCo has announced a series of measures to strengthen recycling collections across Torbay following recent delays affecting some households.
The company says additional resources have now been put in place to help crews return the service to expected levels after a challenging period.
Recent weeks have seen collection teams working through exceptionally high temperatures during the summer heatwave, alongside increased recycling volumes as the holiday season got underway. Despite these pressures, SWISCo said black bin and garden waste collections have continued as scheduled, with the majority of recycling collections also completed.
The company said delays have also been caused by longer waiting times at the Waste Transfer Station due to ongoing improvement works. The additional time spent unloading vehicles has reduced the number of rounds crews have been able to complete each day.
SWISCo acknowledged that delayed recycling collections have been frustrating for residents and thanked those affected for their patience while improvements are made.
To help tackle the issue, the company has recruited additional temporary drivers and loaders to strengthen collection crews and increase capacity during busy periods.
Staggered start times have also been introduced during spells of hot weather, allowing crews to begin work earlier in the day when temperatures are lower. SWISCo says this has helped protect staff welfare while improving efficiency.
A Torbay Council spokesperson said:
> “We know that delays to recycling collections have been frustrating for some residents and I’d like to thank people for their patience while we work with SWISCo colleagues to improve the service.
> “The recent heatwave has created additional pressures, but we have acted quickly to strengthen the service by bringing in additional staff and putting further support in place for our crews.
> “I’d like to thank our frontline teams, who have continued working in difficult conditions to keep collections running and minimise disruption wherever possible.
> “Our priority is providing residents with a reliable recycling service, and we are already seeing positive progress as these additional measures take effect.”
SWISCo says recycling collection performance is expected to improve over the coming weeks as the extra staff and operational changes take effect. While some delays may continue as services recover, crews are working to return collections to normal as quickly as possible.
Residents are being asked to continue presenting their recycling on their usual collection day while recovery work continues.
Further updates will be provided through SWISCo’s website and social media channels.
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