A Swindon resident who waited seven months for a blue recycling bag from the council finally has somewhere to put his waste.

After two requests and many piles of rubbish, Fernando Andre said he was “delighted” when the elusive container for plastics and tins was delivered.

Fernando’s first bag was stolen but his first replacement request was cancelled by Swindon Borough Council. He says the second was delayed as the council was experiencing supply chain issues.

Fernando, of Toothill, said: “I couldn’t believe it! I thought it was an Amazon package. I came back from shopping and could see something big and blue on my doorstep.

“And then I approached and I saw ‘Swindon Borough Council’. I couldn’t believe it, it was a bloody blue bag!’.

“I had completely forgotten it. After seven months, no way are they going to get me one, I thought.”(Image: Dave Cox)

After his bag was stolen, Fernando tried using a different bag to hold his recycling. But the council would not collect it.

He then started saving his recycling until he had enough to warrant a trip to the tip. “I can’t do this all the time”, thought Fendando, so he ended up borrowing a spare bag from his neighbour.

Apart from the inconvenience, Fernando was concerned about the amount of plastic that must be binned due to the blue bag shortage.

He said: “The problem is, probably thousands of people have been dumping all the plastic in the general waste bin. So instead of having more recycling, like before, probably they just had less.”

Now that he has one, he is taking no chances. “I wrote my address straight away on it”, said Fernando.(Image: Aled Thomas)

Fernando is not alone, as he found out when he shared his success. Many Swindonians have been without bag, which the council says is due to supply chain issues.

A council spokesperson said that "blue bag supplies are back to normal" following delays.

A spokesperson said in June: “Our third-party supplier of blue reusable recycling bags is currently experiencing a delay in obtaining new stock due to the disruption affecting global shipping.

“We expect our supply lines to be back to normal in a couple of months."

It recommends residents use a box like the one for glass and paper for their plastic while they wait for a replacement blue bag.

The blue bags were introduced in August 2023 as part of a recycling overhaul to try to boost Swindon’s recycling rates, but many have complained about them blowing away or not being big enough to hold a family’s plastic.