Daisy Stephens

BBC News, South of England

Dorset Council A white and orange bin collection lorry stopped at the side of a residential street. A man in orange overalls stands at the back with a black wheelie bin. It's a sunny day and the sky is blue.Dorset Council

A council is warning of upcoming changes to its bin collection days.

Dorset Council said it was improving the efficiency and reliability of waste services.

Jon Andrews, cabinet member for place services, said the changes were the result of route optimisation and “using our vehicles more efficiently”.

The council said that, as well as changes in bin collection days – which affected residents would be notified of by letter – people may also notice other changes to the service.

The council said the updated service would continue to collect fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections, and weekly food waste collections.

What is changing?

The big change is alterations to bin collection days for around 19,000 households in south west Dorset.

But the council said residents may also notice bins being emptied by different crews at different times on collection days. People who believe their bin collection has been missed should wait until after 16:00 before reporting it.

Crews may also use a “service bin” – which looks like a regular wheelie bin – to collect food waste or glass.

The council also said crews would use vehicles with separate compartments to ensure waste types remained properly sorted.

Getty Images A woman in a white top sorting recyclable waste into three different boxes.Getty Images

The council said the updated service would continue to collect fortnightly rubbish and recycling collections

Which areas are affected?

Most of the changes will take place in:

BridportLyme Regis & CharmouthBeaminsterMarshwood ValeChesil BankEggardon

There will also be a very small number of changes in:

Upwey and BroadweyYetminsterCharminster St. Mary’sWinterborne and Broadmayne

Bin collection day changes will take effect after 21 September, the council said.

For the most part, garden waste and business collections will be mostly unaffected.