To ensure that regular food waste, rubbish, recycling and glass collections continued with minimal disruption, the service was suspended shortly after Public Health England coronavirus  guidance was introduced. This was done to free up garden waste crews so they could cover anticipated absence in other kerbside collection services.

Employee absence has stabilised across the workforce, waste services have been reprioritised and workers in other Dorset Council teams have been trained to support kerbside collections if necessary.

Therefore from 27 April, Garden Waste customers should resume putting their bin out on their usual collection day.

However, the authority will only collect from garden waste bins that are not overfilled and will not collect extra garden waste in boxes or bags next to bins.

Customers will be offered a discounted rate for their 2021/22 garden waste service subscription to compensate for the two missed collections and will be written to in due course

Dorset Council is still not taking new subscriptions to the service.

Any garden waste customers who cancelled their annual direct debit prior to payment being taken on 1 April 2020 are no longer active customers and won’t have their collections resumed. They will need to renew their service to receive any future collections.