Garden waste

All household recycling centres accept garden waste for composting. It is taken to a local composting facility where it is recycled to make compost, soil improvers and mulches. Bags of the resulting composts can be bought at most centres. Larger quantities are also available in bulk from the producers.

For more information about how to deal with food and garden waste at home, visit our food and garden waste solutions page.

An optional, chargeable garden waste collection is offered as part of the new "Recycle for Dorset" service. For the time being, this will only offered to residents living in Christchurch, East Dorset and North Dorset. To apply for the service, or to find out more details, visit our garden waste collection webpage.

Garden waste can also be collected from your house by us. There may be a charge payable for this service:

• Garden waste in Christchurch

  Christchurch residents can subscribe to an optional, fortnightly garden waste collection for an annual fee.

• Garden waste in East Dorset

  East Dorset residents can subscribe to an optional, fortnightly garden waste collection for an annual fee.

• Garden waste in North Dorset

  North Dorset residents can subscribe to an optional, fortnightly garden waste collection for an annual fee.

• Garden waste in Purbeck

  Purbeck residents can subscribe to an optional, fortnightly garden waste collection for an annual fee.

• Garden waste in West Dorset

  We collect garden waste, but it needs to be in an official council garden waste bag.

• Garden waste in Weymouth and Portland

  Garden waste is not accepted in the green wheelie bin for household residual waste or the brown bin for weekly food waste and cardboard.

• Composting

  Composting your organic kitchen and garden waste is probably the single most effective thing you can personally do to reduce the amount of rubbish you throw away. Up to 30% of what goes into an average dustbin can be composted down to make a useful soil improver.