As we mark Recycle Week 2022 (17 – 23 October), Torbay residents are being thanked for their efforts to recycle more – following the roll out of a new scheme to help make recycling easier. To mark Recycle Week, the Bay’s Recycling Support Coordinators will also be out talking to residents to give out information and tips about recycling.

Since the Right Stuff, Right Box scheme was launched by us and delivered by SWISCo starting from July, more people are sorting their recycling correctly in the Bay and this means waste and recycling collection rounds are completed more quickly, there is better quality of recycling and this also means crews are able to complete more rounds on time, on the right day keeping to schedule over the past few months.

The scheme has now been rolled out across Torbay to 60,000 homes and involved the delivery of new blue bags for paper, orange and green stickers for recycling boxes and information about the scheme to make it easier to recycle, with a campaign headed up by Jamie from our household waste and recycling crew.

In addition, together with SWISCo, we have now launched a new opt-in, paid for garden waste service for residents, with subscriptions for a new brown bin at £50 (or £40 if you are on Council Tax Support). Collections start from 31 October but residents can sign up for the scheme now.

We have a target of increasing the current recycling rate of 37% to 50% and both the Right Stuff, Right Box and garden waste opt in scheme will help achieve this. These are among a number of other steps SWISCo is taking towards this target. They have also invested in new Romaquip recycling vehicles, recruited more drivers and employed new Recycling Support Coordinators who will be speaking to members of the public about the new recycling scheme.

The national theme for Recycle Week, led by national charity Recycle Now, this year is ‘Get Real About Recycling’ and it supports what Torbay has been doing on Right Stuff, Right Box.

This year’s Recycle Week campaign will focus on three common questions that many of us have when it comes to recycling:

  • Does my recycling really make a difference?
  • One item in the bin can’t hurt, can it?
  • Recycling is so confusing, Isn’t it?

Craig Stephens, Campaign Manager for Recycle Now, “By recycling even better we can have a big impact on our environment. In Torbay, it’s no different – more and more people are recycling, so the next step is to make sure we get our recycling right. So come on, Torbay, keep up the great work and let’s make the Bay’s recycling better than ever before!”

Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said: “It’s really encouraging news that people are sorting their recycling more thanks to the help of the Right Stuff, Right Box scheme, and we also hope to build on this with our new kerbside garden waste scheme – which more and more residents are signing up for. We are committed to doing all we can to tackle climate change and make Torbay carbon neutral by 2030 and increasing our recycling rates and reducing our carbon footprint are an essential, part of this.”

Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture for Torbay Council, said: “We need to do all we can to help our environment and tackle climate change and we must reduce, reuse and recycle as much as we possibly can.”

Matt Reeks, Managing Director of SWISCo said: “Thank you so much to all the residents who have been sorting recycling correctly since we started rolling out the Right Stuff, Right Box scheme – this really is making a huge difference.

“It is so much quicker for our crews if the recycling has already been sorted correctly and means rounds can be collected more quickly, and more materials can be recycled.

“From a residents’ point of view, this also means less delays behind our trucks and also means we burn less diesel which lowers our carbon footprint.”

Recycling Support Coordinators (RSCs) will be at the following events through Recycle Week:

  • Monday 17 October: Torbay Community Conference, Riviera International Centre, Torquay, 7pm – 9pm (the event is now fully booked but attendees will be able to speak to the RSCs).
  • Tuesday 18 October: Torquay Library, Lymington Road, Torquay TQ1 3DT, 9.30am to 12pm
  • Thursday 20 October: Paignton Library, Great Western Road, TQ4 5AG, 10am to 12pm
  • Friday 21 October: Brixham Library, Market St, Brixham TQ5 8EU, 10am to 12pm

More information


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