You can download a handy leaflet that shows how you can reduce the amount of waste your household produces.

The Recycle for Dorset kerbside collection service has been in place for a while now and is working well. Dorset residents are among the country’s top recyclers, raising the recycling rate to almost 60% – a fantastic achievement.

But now that most people have become experts at putting the right stuff in the right bin, we want to go one step further and prevent that stuff from ever being thrown away in the first place.

It’s a common misconception that recycled material generates revenue for your local council. Recycling is significantly cheaper than household rubbish to deal with, the latter of which can cost up to £130 per tonne to treat or send to landfill.

But recycling still costs money to process – council tax money that would be better spent on other essential services.

So the “Slim Your Bins” campaign has been launched to get residents to start reducing how much they throw away in terms of rubbish, recycling and food.

The message of the “Slim Your Bins” campaign is simple:

  • recycling your waste is good – if you need to bin it, can it be recycled?
  • reusing it is better – do you need to throw it away, or can it be used for something else?
  • reducing your waste is best – could you avoid buying it in the first place?

Creating less waste saves money for your household and council. By keeping rubbish and recycling out of your bins by not throwing it away in the first place, you can help protect the environment too.

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