Under 'The Controlled Waste Regulations 1992' of the Environmental Protection Act garden waste is classed as household waste for which a charge can be levied.

We will therefore not collect garden waste unless it is presented for collection in one of our green prepaid sacks or has an attached prepaid label (price: £1 each).

Each sack must not exceed 25kgs in weight and should only contain cuttings and clippings - please do not include soil or rubble.

Our garden sacks/stickers can be purchased from the following retailers:

• Blandford - ASL, West Street

• Child Okeford - Post Office

• Gillingham - Crockers

• Marnhull - Robin Stores

• Marnhull - Spar

• Milborne St Andrew - Post Office

• Okeford Fitzpaine - Ye Old Bell Stores

• Shaftesbury - Bargins

• Stalbridge - Post Office

• Sturminster Newton - Harts

All garden waste collected through the sack and sticker scheme will go to landfill. This will increase our waste arisings (the total amount of waste collected) and reduce our recycling performance.

As a result of this we are trying to encourage members of the public to either home compost or take materials to Household Recycling Centres, take materials to Composting Site or use a Garden Waste Recycling Service.

Independent companies for garden waste removal

The businesses listed here have been taken from local directories. We do not endorse these particular companies and there are many more local firms offering similar services.

Garden Waste Recycling- Regular call and book service or one-off bulky load.

JS Garden Services - General Handyman- all types of gardening work, rubbish clearance, also (fencing) fence painting, house painting. Free estimate.