Dorset County Council : Waste Partnership’s performance brightens up gloomy January

The Dorset Waste Partnership (DWP) is continuing to help residents recycle more, while delivering a great service and saving money for local councils.

Despite recycling rates dropping across the UK , Dorset residents are now recycling more than ever before.

[Attachment] According to recently published statistics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) , the DWP has raised its recycling rate once again - from 56.7% the previous year, to 58.5% for the 2015/16 fiscal year.

Although the UK's recycling and composting levels have fallen to an average of 44.3% - down 1.6% from the previous year - the completion of the DWP's rollout of the Recycle for Dorset scheme has allowed Dorset residents to buck the wider trend.

These results place Dorset as the joint top county area for recycling, as well as in the top three councils that both collect and dispose of their waste and in the top 15 overall, out of 350 local authorities.

The great news was also bolstered by the results of a recent doorstep survey undertaken by the DWP, which shows that the overall satisfaction rate for the Recycle for Dorset service is 94%.

The survey took place between June and October last year in Purbeck, Weymouth and Portland, and West Dorset. The DWP dispatched a team to each area in order to speak face-to-face with residents and find out how people were using the service. The teams also provided guidance on how to recycle correctly and discussed the challenges some residents faced when handling their waste.

Of the 5,371 residents surveyed, 54.4% said that they were 'very satisfied', with a further 39.8% stating they were 'fairly satisfied' with their service.

In recent reports to its seven partner councils, the DWP also predicted it will be £1.28million underspent for the 2016/17 financial year, which will help partner councils' budgets.

[Attachment]These savings are mainly due to a lower cost household recycling centre (HRC) contract, reduced costs for processing recyclable materials, and additional garden and commercial waste subscribers.

Cllr Tony Alford, chair of the Dorset Waste Partnership's Joint Committee , said:

'The DWP is continuing to deliver on its primary goals of increasing recycling rates, providing quality services and saving money for the Dorset taxpayer, despite the many challenges we face.

'Dorset residents have shown that not only are they among the country's keenest recyclers, they are overwhelmingly satisfied with the service we provide. Coupled with the good news that we're able to save money for our partners, you can see how well the organisation is performing.

'We need to make sure that this coming year is just as successful as the last and we can only do that by continuing to work closely with our partners and the people of Dorset who we serve.'