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Dorset

• Local authority: Dorset County Council
• District Councils in County: Christchurch, East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset and Weymouth & Portland.
• Area profile: Mainly rural
• Area: 254,181 hectares
• Population: 381,900
• Waste management contract: SITA
• Recycling rate (1999/2000): 26%

Collection Methods

Kerbside collections

• Kerbside collections are undertaken by the individual District/Borough Councils as waste collection authorities (WCAs). Currently five of the six WCAs provides fort-nightly kerbside 'green box' schemes to some domestic properties within their areas. Overall 47 per cent of house-holds in the Dorset County Council (DCC) area are covered.
• A recycled plastic box is provided by the WCA for the mixed collection of newspapers, magazines, cans and plastic bottles. The collected materials are taken to the automated sorting plant at Hurn.
• A Materials Recycling Facility at Hurn, set up by SITA, sorts co-mingled materials into paper, three polymers of plastic bottles and aluminium and steel cans.

Bring sites

• A network of large recycling centres in urban areas have facilities for the collection of steel and aluminium cans, glass bottles and jars, newspapers and magazines, light cardboard, foil, textiles, and plastic bottles.
• Smaller mini banks are located at pubs and rural locations. These take glass bottles and jars, newspapers and magazines, and steel and aluminium cans.
• There are over 270 recycling sites within Dorset.

Civic Amenity Sites

• Dorset County Council provides 11 Bulky Household Waste Recycling Centres (or civic amenity sites) across its area. The centres are managed on behalf of the County Council by contractors who are encouraged through financial incentives (penalties and bonuses) to recover as much waste as they can for re-use, recycling and composting. The contractors are allowed to sell reclaimed materials on site.
• In 1999/2000 the Bulky Household Waste Recycling Centres accepted some 65,000 tonnes of household waste. Of this, over 44,000 tonnes was recovered: 12,000 tonnes for re-use, 10,000 tonnes for recycling and 22,000 tonnes for composting.

Other schemes in the area

• Schools, scouts and other community groups collect paper
• Several charities collect textiles
• Three local furniture refurbishment schemes

Materials Recycled

Recycling breakdown (1999/2000)

Costs

Civic amenity site recycling saves landfill costs and the contract includes penalties/bonuses to encourage recycling.

Dorset County Council pays recycling credits to district/borough Councils and voluntary/charity groups. Dorset County Council pays the management fee for the Materials Recycling Facility.

Dorset County Council does not receive income from material sales or PRNs.

Summary of Projects

Centralised Composting

The council segregates green waste at its civic amenity (CA) sites. This is taken to local composting facilities where it is processed to make soil improvers and mulches. Dorset County Council funds composting operations through a gate fee per tonne of waste diverted for composting. In 1999/2000 22,500 tonnes of green waste from its 11 CA sites was composted. The compost is sold back through the CA sites to 'close the loop' as well as through garden centres and direct from the producers: Eco Composting, Hurn and Weyport Services, Weymouth.

Home Composting

The Dorset Recycling Group has promoted home composting for several years. In 2000 it co-ordinated a series of one-day sales of home composters throughout Dorset, distributing nearly 6,000 units. Further activity is planned for 2001.

'Wake Up To Waste' Campaign

The Wake Up To Waste campaign aims to raise public awareness of waste issues in Dorset and promote waste reduction and recycling initiatives. The campaign is a partnership between Dorset County Council, the district/borough Councils and the local office of the Environment Agency. The campaign is part of the authorities' joint commitment to developing a joint waste management strategy.

Keys to Success

Gary Simpson, waste management group manager, Dorset County Council said: "This achievement is not rocket science, but the result of patient evolution and co-operation on a wide canvas."

The Dorset Recycling Group (DRG) consists of the County, District and Borough Councils of Dorset and the Unitary Authorities of Poole, Bournemouth and the Environment Agency. This group has worked together to promote waste minimisation and recycling since 1990. The DRG has led to strategic development of recycling in the county, with the joint development of Recycling Plans and co-operation over contract letting for paper, glass, cans, textiles and plastic bottles. The DRG has produced educational materials and promotional initiatives on recycling and home composting. Recycling schemes have been set up as a united effort which means that information and experience is shared and best prices for materials are achieved through strong bargaining power.

Dorset County Council's innovative approach to civic amenity site contracts, and the entrepreneurial attitude of contractor Weymouth & Sherborne Recycling, have led to the recovery of large quantities of materials.

Education/publicity

• All districts/boroughs undertake education and promotion at a local level in schools.
• Wake up to Waste' leaflets promote the 3Rs and raise waste awareness countywide.

Future

• Dorset County Council aims to achieve Government Performance Standards for recycling and composting. This is expected to be 33 per cent in 2003/04 and 40 per cent in 2005/06.
• A Real Nappy promotional campaign is in development.

Contact

Steve Palfrey
Waste Policy Officer
Waste Management
Dorset County Council
Environmental Services Directorate
County Hall
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 1XJ

Tel: 01305 225193
Fax: 01305 224961
Email: s.palfrey@dorset-cc.gov.uk
Web: www.dorset-cc.gov.uk

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