Waste and Recycling: Find out the changes to your service following cabinet in September

Aligning our waste and recycling services

Our waste services across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are one step closer to being aligned, after councillors approved the recommended changes in a report at Cabinet in September.

These changes, which will be implemented over the next 6 months, are needed to ensure we are offering a more consistent service to all our residents. Further alignment of our waste services is on-going, but below are some of the changes that were agreed at cabinet.

Improved real nappies scheme

The real nappies scheme which runs in Bournemouth and Christchurch is now being extended to Poole residents.

The scheme currently offers a £30 voucher or cashback on real nappies, but from 1 November all three towns can benefit from a choice of a voucher, cashback or real nappy start up kit, worth between £68 - £100, which gives parents all the essentials needed to start using real nappies.

Garden waste bins increasing in size for Bournemouth

Keen gardeners in Bournemouth will be pleased to know that their garden waste bins are increasing in size next year to 240 litres, in line with Christchurch and Poole's bins.

Garden waste collection is a paid-for service that is popular across the conurbation. More information on signing up to the service will be out in the next couple of weeks.

Compost bin subsidy for Bournemouth and Christchurch

A compost bin subsidy is being introduced to Bournemouth and Christchurch to tie in with one currently offered in Poole.

Residents will be able to purchase a compost bin for £6 from 1 April 2021 to transform your kitchen and garden waste into a valuable and nutrient rich food for your garden. 

Find out the benefits here.

Battery collections for Poole

Our battery collection service in Bournemouth and Christchurch is being extended to Poole residents from 1 November.

Residents must put their used batteries in an old carrier bag and place it on top of the recycling bin. Our collection crews will then safely recycle them.

Changes to bin colours and sizes

The bin sizes and colours across our three towns are all very different. While we won't be replacing everyone's bins with a uniform size and colour now, we will be replacing them with the ones below when they reach their end of life or break:

• recycling bins will be 240 litre black bins with blue lids
• refuse bins will be 180 litre black bins with black lids
• garden waste bins will be 240 litre black bins with green lids.

Further waste changes

We will not be offering free food waste liners after the current stock in Bournemouth runs out. Did you know you can line your food waste bin with old newspapers, or you don't have to line it with anything at all. If you do want to purchase food waste liners, most supermarkets sell them in store.

Small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) will no longer be collected at the kerbside. This service had limited capacity on the collection rounds, and a decision has been made to stop the service in Bournemouth (it wasn't available in Christchurch or Poole). The WEEE banks in Bournemouth have also been removed. Residents can dispose of their WEEE at one of our three Household Recycling Centres or alternatively, some charities can take working goods in. 

Extra recycling will not be collected alongside your recycling bin from 1 November in Bournemouth or Christchurch (this service was not available in Poole). We all need to do our bit in reducing the waste we produce - recyclenow has some great tips on how to achieve waste reduction.

Read the cabinet report detailing the changes