Published on 31st January 2023

Household recycling centre carboard bank

New standardised hours at the household recycling centre (HRC) will reduce energy consumption, support the climate emergency and council budget pressures.

From tomorrow (Wednesday 1 February), residents are reminded that new opening times are in place at the recycling centre at Swindon Road. The centre will also be closed each Wednesday.

This move comes following a decrease in use by residents after the pandemic and to help reduce operating costs by around £35k per year.

The new opening hours are:

Monday – 8.30am – 4pm
Tuesday – 8.30am – 4pm
Wednesday – CLOSED in line with Gloucestershire County Council sites
Thursday – 8.30am – 4pm
Friday – 8.30am – 4pm
Saturday – 8.30am – 3pm
Sunday – 9am to 12noon

Cllr Iain Dobie, cabinet member for waste, recycling and street services, said: “We recognise the value of our household recycling centre and we’re proud that we’re the only local authority in the county to offer this service to our residents.  However, due to a reduction in use of the facility during weekdays, combined with the increasing budget pressures, we have agreed this as a solution to continue providing this discretionary service by adjusting the daily opening hours, and closing on a Wednesday as this is a quieter day.” 

“We would like to assure residents that we remain invested in this high quality facility and we’re looking to offer an even wider range of re-use and recycling opportunities in coming months, to help support our ambition to reduce the amount of residual waste.”

The service at Swindon Road HRC is unique in Gloucestershire and provides Cheltenham residents with extra recycling services that are entirely funded by the borough council. The county council provide and fund five HRC’s across Gloucestershire including Wingmoor Farm at Bishops Cleeve.

Residents are able to recycle glass, paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, pots tubs and trays at the kerbside or bring sites around the town.  The kerbside recycling collection also helps residents recycle textiles, shoes, batteries, small electrical items, coffee pods and in some places flexible plastics bags, wrappings and films.  To check what you can recycle in Cheltenham and where please visit www.cheltenham.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling.   

For media enquiries, contact: communications, telephone 01242 264154, email communications@cheltenham.gov.uk.