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Bin collection changes ‘saving money’

blackmorevaleJuly 19, 20210 Comment0

More than 34,000 North Dorset households had their bin collections changed in June, saving money and improving efficiency, says Dorset Council. 

The changes were made possible by the council’s state-of-the-art vehicle tracking system, which provided live data on the original bin collection system, said a spokesman. An administrative team crunched the numbers and was able to see how the historic bin rounds could be changed or improved.

The authority also tapped into the local knowledge of the waste collection crews and staff, to help identify households that would be most affected.

A spokesman said: “To ensure residents had clear information on what was happening, around 34,000 households were written to directly and provided with instructions on what they needed to do. For most, it simply meant putting their bins out on a different day, but some had additional collections scheduled to cover any extended gaps in service.”

“People were also informed that food waste would now be collected by a separate crew, rather than picked up at the same time as their rubbish or recycling. Making this clear helped prevent instances of mistaken missed bin reports, saving valuable time and resources for administrative employees.”

Despite this, the council’s team received around 50-70 additional contacts each day from residents with enquiries about the new collection rounds.

The new rounds were rolled out from Monday, June 7, using new 7.5 tonne food waste collection vehicles and 26 tonne refuse freighters, with crews based at the Shaftesbury and Blandford depots. Portfolio Holder for Customer and Community Services Jill Haynes praised the rollout.

“The huge amount of work required to pull off such an impressive feat cannot be understated,” she said. She also thanked North Dorset residents for their co-operation in introducing the new rounds.