Waste, Recycling and Environment

The Climate Emergency and Our Environmental Impact

As a Parish Council we aim to:

• Review and recommend how we can reduce the environmental impact of our premises and operations.
• Minimise the level of waste going to landfill or incineration and increase the availability of bins for recyclable waste in the Parish.
• Protect and preserve green spaces in the Parish and safeguard the rural nature and character of the area.
• Effectively utilise the potential of the land we own or manage in support of nature and wildlife, including identifying areas suitable for tree, wildflower and other planting.
• Avoid the use of herbicides, pesticides and other non-organic or harmful substances on our land.
• Manage flood risk and other environmental factors through our established Flood and Resilience Group (FRG).
• Divest in the fossil fuel industry.
• Undertake a climate change impact assessment as part of our procurement processes, to identify and select sustainable goods, services and suppliers wherever possible and in line with our resources.
• Work with public transport providers serving the Parish and promote cycling, running and walking in our local area.
• Seek and listen to ideas and input from residents and others in our community.
• Inform residents and others in our community about how they can help.
• Engage with Wokingham Borough Council and neighbouring parish councils to share and adopt best practice.
• Review and update all our policies to support the above aims.

Household Waste and Recycling

Swallowfield Parish lies within the local authority of Wokingham Borough Council (WBC), which is responsible for household waste and recycling.

re3 is a waste management partnership between Wokingham Borough, Reading Borough and Bracknell Forest councils, working with FCC Environment, which provides residents with recycling and waste management facilities.

This includes kerbside collections of general waste, food waste and recycling, emptying glass banks, street cleaning and operating two recycling centres, at Longshot Lane in Bracknell and Smallmead, Island Road in Reading. An optional fortnightly chargeable garden waste collection is also available. Further information on collection dates can be found here.

Residents can purchase discounted composting bins, water butts and accessories here. Peat-free compost, made from recycled garden waste, is available for sale at re3 recycling centres.

For further information, please visit the re3 and Wokingham Borough Council websites. 

Waste and Recycling in the Parish

Swallowfield Parish Council provides waste bins at certain sites and premises it owns. These are provided exclusively for the disposal of waste arising when using its facilities, namely recreation grounds and halls. Disposal of waste not arising from use of these facilities in these bins is not permitted and is a form of fly tipping. General waste, mixed recyclables and dog waste bins are located at Swallowfield Parish Hall and Recreation Ground and at Riseley Memorial Hall.

General waste bins are located elsewhere around the Parish, in Swallowfield, Riseley and Farley Hill. These are generally managed by Wokingham Borough Council.

Glass banks are located in the car parks in Swallowfield and Riseley and emptied on a regular basis. When banks are full, as they can sometimes be at busy points in the year, please visit another time and avoid leaving items next to the bottle banks. This is unsafe and the items are unlikely to be collected if they are not disposed of correctly. Leaving items outside the intended receptacle and the disposal of any other household waste at these sites is a form of fly tipping.

Clothes banks are also situated at Swallowfield and Riseley, managed by independent charities.

There is a box for recycling batteries in the atrium of Swallowfield Parish Hall. It is important that batteries are kept out of general waste going to landfill due to chemical contamination.

Fly Tipping

Unfortunately fly tipping can sometimes be an issue in rural and semi-rural areas in particular. A reminder that fly tipping is a criminal offence for which individuals can be prosecuted and fined. For more information on fly tipping, or to report a case, please visit Wokingham Borough Council’s website.

Litter Picking

The Parish Council and members of our community organise a well-supported annual litter pick in the Parish. This normally takes place in Spring.

In addition, residents can join Wokingham Borough Council’s ‘Adopt a Street’ scheme and volunteer to collect litter in their local area. Litter pickers, high vis vests and bags are normally provided free of charge. Further information can be found here.