Every year in Dorset we throw away over 200,000 tonnes of household waste. With an increasing population the quantity of waste could double over the next 20 years. The majority of this waste ends up in landfill sites. As a county we have one of the best recycling rates in the country, recycling over a third of our household products. Therefore the amount of waste produced in the first places is the issue that needs to be dealt with.

Authorities in Dorset have joined together and produced the ‘Joint Municipal Waste Management for Dorset’. This report is a guide on how waste is going to be dealt with over 25 years from 2008-2033. There are 10 policy objectives in this report. These include preventing further growth in municipal waste per head of the population by promoting waste reduction and reuse initiatives, achieve 60% recycling and composting, to promote waste awareness through coordinated public education and awareness campaigns.

There are many groups in Dorset providing advice on waste for business e.g. SWWMG, households e.g. Dorset Reduction and Recycling and using resources efficiently and developing sustainable products e.g. WRAP.