There is a simple five step guide to recycling in Dorset:

1. Recycle at home - find out what your local council collects for recycling from your home and at your local mini-recycling centres
2. Sort your rubbish - now that you know what items you can recycle, find a handy place to store them, such as your garage or by your back door. Make sure you encourage everyone in your house to think about whether items can be reused or recycled before they are thrown away
3. Recycle on your doorstep - 94% of Dorset residents have a kerbside recycling collection. If you don't already have a recycling box or bag, contact your local council for one. You will be given a timetable of collection dates
4. Take your recyclables to your recycling sites - there are around 300 local mini-recycling centres across Dorset. These are located at village halls, car parks, supermarkets and in popular community areas
5. Use your household recycling centres - there are 11 household recycling centres across Dorset which collect a wide variety of materials for reuse and recycling including; wood, batteries, garden waste, cardboard, metal, plastic bottles, fridges and freezers, electrical items, oil, fluorescent tubes, paint, glass bottles and paper

• Recycling - can you do more?

  Recycling levels in Dorset are among the best in the country but we still need to do more.

• Yellow Pages recycling

  New Yellow Pages directories will be delivered to households over the next few weeks. See how to recycle your old one and details of the annual Yellow Woods Challenge in Christchurch.

• Food waste recycling scheme and bin bag collection changes for Sherborne area

  We now collect food waste from households in Sherborne and surrounding villages.