Your questions about the new waste collection service answered
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the new Dorset waste collection service.
Question | Answer |
What will the new service mean for me? | By participating fully in a new scheme, you will be helping the environment by reducing the amount of waste landfilled in Dorset. You will also be helping to keep to a minimum the amount of public money that has to be paid out in landfill tax - the savings made by the partnership will be distributed between partner councils, freeing up resources to spend on other public services and helping to keep council tax from rising. |
Why are you introducing a new collection service? | One countywide service will be much more efficient than the current 12 and will divert more waste from landfill. This will help us save money by reducing collection and disposal costs and save on landfill taxes. It currently costs around £80 per tonne to landfill waste but with the rate of taxation going up by £8 per tonne each year, this is set to rise. By reducing landfill costs we will be able to offer kerbside recycling for more materials and ensure that all Dorset residents receive an improved waste and recycling service, which is simple-to-use. |
Who decided to introduce a single Dorset collection service? | The Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) Joint Committee, comprising two councillors from each of the seven partner authorities, considered options for a Dorset collection service on 6 October 2011. At this meeting, the Joint Committee decided the best option to be put forward to each partner council for consideration. Between October 2011 and January 2012, each of the partner councils individually agreed to the introduction of the new service. |
How does the announcement about the Government's 'Weekly Collections Support Scheme' affect the Dorset collection service proposal? | We are keen to find out more detail about how Dorset could potentially benefit from any Government funding available to provide weekly waste collections. However, at this stage the partnership has not received any formal information about this funding and the criteria for applying for it. In particularly, there has been no indication from the Government as to what they mean by a 'weekly collection'. For example, this could be referring to a weekly collection of refuse or it could also mean a weekly collection of 'smelly waste' (food waste). If it is the latter, then the Dorset service proposal does include a weekly collection of food waste and we would welcome funding to help provide this service. However, until more information is available we cannot say how the scheme will impact on our proposal. |
What about consultation and communication? | We consulted with residents extensively during the development of the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Dorset, which guides the way we will deal with our waste over the next 25 years. All partner councils adopted this strategy in 2009. The new Dorset service is in line with many of the key policy objectives outlined in it (specifically policy objective 3, 4, and 7) and these received over 90 per cent support through the consultation process. Therefore, we are concentrating on communicating the agreed changes to waste and recycling services to residents and a full communications plan has been devised. It includes holding roadshows in local communities to provide an opportunity for you to speak to waste officers about the changes and see examples of the types of containers you would receive. The proposed service is designed to be flexible to make sure it can be tailored to meet the needs of individual households and is suitable for different types of properties. Before the new scheme is introduced, the DWP will begin to contact households in the first rollout area to explain the new service and to seek information regarding specific requirements of households. For example, if an assisted collection is required or if storage space is limited. We would then look at how the proposed service could be adapted to individual circumstances. |
When will I get the new service? | Now that all partner councils have agreed to introduce the new service in their area, it will be rolled out across Dorset in phases. We are aiming to start in autumn 2012 and finish by the end of 2014, although this is subject to change as we develop a detailed implementation plan. The intention is to commence the roll-out in the east of the county (Christchurch and part of East Dorset). |
How much will it cost the partnership to make the changes to collection services? | The new service will be more than £2 million less expensive to operate than the current services, if fully rolled out by 2014. There are costs associated with purchasing new containers, vehicles and infrastructure, but these have all been included in these calculations. Any savings will be shared between partner councils. |
How do you know the new service will work? | Similar schemes are operating across the country and also within some areas of Dorset, such as Gillingham in North Dorset and St Catherine's Hill in Christchurch, which achieve very high recycling rates. |
Will this cost me more in my council tax? | There will be no extra cost to council tax because of any changes to waste collection services introduced. The reduced costs of waste management in Dorset will be passed on to the councils and will assist them in providing other services, or keeping council tax down. |
I will find it physically difficult to move wheelie bins around. Will I receive an assisted collection? | A key part of the proposed service is to provide a simple and flexible service for residents, so yes we would look to continue assisted collections where required. |
I will be receiving a reduced service if my rubbish is collected fortnightly instead of weekly, won't I? | There will be no reduction in service - every household will still receive a weekly collection of food waste. By splitting the waste into different types more of it can be recycled and composted. This will help the environment and prevent pollution from waste in landfill. As a result of this, you should only have a small amount of waste that cannot be recycled at the kerbside, so this will be collected fortnightly. |
What if I don't have time to use all the bins? | It shouldn't take any extra time. Instead of putting food waste in the bin, you simply put it in your kitchen caddy and your recycling will go in your wheeled bin and glass will go in your recycling box. Remember, none of that is rubbish, it is all valuable. |
Can I still take my rubbish to the local household recycling centre? | Yes, you can still take your items to any of our 11 household recycling centres. We do encourage residents taking their waste to our household recycling centres to pre-sort it so that anything recyclable is put into the appropriate recycling bank. |
Does the new service mean I'll have several bins and containers to store? My property doesn't have the space. | Yes, most households will have two wheeled bins - a 140-litre one for your refuse and a 240-litre one for some of your recycling. You will also have a 55-litre recycling box for glass and a lockable container for food waste. In addition, we will give you a small food waste caddy to keep in your kitchen. However, we are keen to offer a flexible service. Before the proposed scheme is introduced, the DWP will begin to contact households in the first rollout area to explain the new service and to seek information regarding specific requirements of households. For example, if an assisted collection is required or if storage space is limited. We will then look at how the new service could be adapted to individual circumstances. If you subscribe to the garden waste service you will also have a 240-litre wheeled bin or a reusable bag if you don't have space for a bin. |
What are the alternative options to the standard service? | Most households will get the standard service, which is two wheeled bins (240-litre bin for recycling and 140-litre bin for refuse), a 55-litre recycling container and a 23-litre food waste container, with a small 7-litre caddy, which is designed to be kept in the kitchen. However, we will look at tailoring the service where appropriate and alternative arrangements could be made to suit particular needs, such as:
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| Am I expected to run wheeled bins through my house? | One of the first tasks in the run-up to implementation will be to identify properties that will have difficulty using the standard service. An example may be a terraced house with no rear access. We won't expect people to run wheeled bins through their home so alternative arrangements will be considered, e.g. sacks for refuse. |
| The pavement of my house is very narrow. Won't wheelie bins cause an obstruction? | Narrow pavements can present a particular problem so will be an additional consideration applying to the standard service. However, the footprint area they cover would be similar to a recycling box and small compared to a pile of sacks. |
| I currently use a communal area for recycling and refuse. Will I still have this provision? | As part of the run-up to implementation, households identified as having difficulty using the standard service will be assessed to find the best solution. It is possible that larger communal waste bins might be used to serve more than one property. |
| Will you be replacing all the containers I have? What will happen to all our current waste containers? | Where possible, existing wheelie bins and containers will be reused. Bins and containers that are no longer required or are not in a usable condition will be recycled. |
| When will we know when our bins are coming? | Those residents due to have bins delivered will receive communication prior to any delivery taking place. This will enable residents to highlight any concerns they have about the bins. |
