Look out for a letter about bin collection day changes in southwest Dorset

Dorset Council is contacting around 19,000 households in southwest Dorset to inform them of upcoming changes to bin collection days.

These changes are part of a wider effort to improve the efficiency and reliability of waste services across the area.

If your household is affected, you’ll receive a letter in the post over the coming weeks with full details of your new bin collection day. If you do not receive a letter, please assume your collection schedule remains unchanged.

The updated service will continue to provide fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections, alongside weekly food waste collections. These changes will allow our crews to work more efficiently, reduce operational costs, and maintain high standards of service delivery.

Cllr Jon Andrews, Dorset Council’s Cabinet Member for Place Services, said:

“We’re making these changes to ensure our waste collection service remains reliable, cost-effective and environmentally responsible. By optimising our routes and using our vehicles more efficiently, we can continue to deliver a high-quality service to residents across southwest Dorset. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation as we roll out these improvements.”

Most of the changes will take place in:

• Bridport
• Lyme Regis & Charmouth
• Beaminster
• Marshwood Vale
• Chesil Bank
• Eggardon.

There will also be a very minor number of changes in:

• Upwey & Broadwey
• Yetminster
• Charminster St. Mary's
• Winterborne & Broadmayne.

Key points for residents:

• Bin collection day changes will take effect after 21 September
• Only affected households will receive a letter – if you don’t get one, your collection day stays the same
• Bins may be emptied by different crews at different times on collection day
• Vehicles with separate compartments ensure waste types remain properly sorted
• Crews may use a “service bin” to collect food waste or glass – this looks like a regular wheelie bin
• Garden waste and business collections are mostly unaffected; customers will be contacted separately if changes apply
• If you believe your collection has been missed, please wait until 4pm before reporting it.

These changes also absorb projected property growth into existing recycling and waste vehicle rounds, helping the Council meet future demand without increasing resources. Check your bin day online.