We, together with SWISCo, are pleased to receive information about the Government's reforms to recycling and would also like to address inaccuracies recently reported in the media about the upcoming changes.

SWISCo has been successfully delivering Torbay's waste and recycling service since 2020 and is a company owned wholly by Torbay Council.

Torbay has already been offering most households the full range of recycling and waste collection services for many years. This includes general (residual) waste, recycling collections, including food waste, and garden waste (for subscribers).

Recycling rates have also continued to increase, reflecting Torbay's commitment to making recycling as easy and accessible as possible for local households. In 2020/21, 35.6% of average household waste was recycled in Torbay, rising to 40.7% in 2024/25.

Torbay already offers the full range of household recycling services and recycles all household items outlined in government guidance, but this has not been the case for all local authorities in England and Wales.

The Government is therefore introducing 'Simpler Recycling' reforms which are designed to make recycling easier, ensure all households across England and Wales can recycle the same core materials, and end the current “postcode lottery” of varying rules. These reforms will come into effect on 31 March 2026.

We want to reassure residents that Torbay already meets the majority of proposed national requirements, such as food waste collections, which means these reforms will result in minimal changes and disruption to our service. Any changes that will affect households will be communicated in due course.

We also want to address numerous media reports which have suggested that households could face £400 fines for putting the wrong items in their recycling. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has confirmed these claims are “completely false”.

The Simpler Recycling scheme does not introduce any new £400 penalties for householders and does not ban households from disposing of everyday items. 

Most of the items described in media reports as “prohibited” can either be put into the relevant recycling stream or disposed of in residual (general waste) and are not banned.

Torbay residents can therefore be confident that:

- There are no new £400 fines for recycling errors.

- Everyday items described in some news reports as “prohibited” are not banned; items simply need to go in the correct stream or into general waste if not recyclable at the kerbside.

- Torbay’s existing service already provides weekly food waste collections in line with the national rollout.

We will continue to provide clear local guidance as the national Simpler Recycling changes are introduced.

Cllr Adam Billings, Cabinet Member for Pride in Place and Parking, said: ''We welcome the Government's 'Simpler Recycling' reforms which will help standardise household recycling across England and Wales and allow other areas to enjoy the excellent recycling service that residents in Torbay already have access to.

“We also want to reassure residents that Torbay’s recycling service already meets the majority of the Government's requirements. This means residents will see minimal changes. Any future changes to the service will be communicated clearly to households in due course.''

To find out more about recycling in Torbay visit: Bins and recycling - Torbay Council