In 2009/10 the household recycling centres received 63,000 tonnes of waste from around 1.6 million visits.  Of the waste received, 75% was recovered for re-use, composting and recycling.

The 11 household recycling centres provide facilities for all household waste including:

• Bathroom/kitchen ceramics
• Bric-a-brac
• Rubble
• Car batteries
• Cardboard
• Cans
• Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) recovery
• Cookers
• Doors
• Electrical goods
• Engine oil
• Fridges
• Freezers
• Furniture
• Garden waste
• Gas cylinders
• Glass bottles and jars
• Newspapers and magazines
• Plastic bottles
• Fluorescent tubes and low energy lightbulbs
• Household batteries
• Scrap metal
• Textiles
• Tiles
• Window frames
• Wood

A new cooking oil recycling trial is taking place at Blandford, Christchurch, Wareham and Wimborne HRCs, which means residents can drop off their vegetable, sunflower, rapeseed and palm oil in sealed containers, such as plastic bottles, at collection points at these sites.

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

You can view a map of all household recycling centres or use our find your nearest facility to location the nearest centre to you.

See details for all centres including locations and opening times below. There are commercial vehicle and waste restrictions.

• Mini recycling centres

  Details of all mini-recycling centres, along with details of the materials that can be recycled at each centre.

• Blandford Waste Management Centre

• Bridport Household Recycling Centre

• Christchurch Household Recycling Centre

• Louds Mill Household Recycling Centre, Dorchester

• Portland Household Recycling Centre

• Shaftesbury Household Recycling Centre

• Sherborne Waste Management Centre

• Swanage Community Recycling Centre

• Wareham Household Recycling Centre

• Weymouth Household Recycling Centre (Lodmoor)

• Wimborne Household Recycling Centre

• New Swanage household recycling centre

  The project is to build a new, modern and efficient household recycling centre (HRC) at Prospect Business Park, off Victoria Avenue in Swanage to replace the existing facility located at Panorama Road.

• Accessing Millhams Household Recycling Centre

  East Dorset residents now have unlimited access to Millhams Community Recycling Centre in Bournemouth, ending the voucher scheme. To use the recycling centre Dorset residents will need to show their council tax bill from East Dorset District Council when visiting the Bournemouth Borough Council facility.

• Access to Nuffield Household Recycling Centre

  If you live in the areas of Corfe Mullen, Lytchett Minster, Lytchett Matravers or parts of Upton and Broadstone (and pay your council tax to Purbeck District Council or East Dorset District Council) then you could use the Nuffield Household Recycling Centre.

• Frequently asked questions

  Household recycling centre frequently asked questions

• Recycling rates for household recycling centres (HRC)

• Vans and load carrying vehicles

• Commercial vehicle and waste restrictions

  The following controls apply to all Dorset's household recycling centres:

• Hazardous waste collection

  How to dispose of hazardous waste such as asbestos and chemicals.