Missed bin collections - council explains why it happened

Dorset Council reported that missed bin collections affected more than 110,000 households in the past financial year, with 110,667 missed household collections recorded for the year ending March 2026. The council said the worst-hit area was in and around Ferndown, though other collection areas across the county also faced issues. Performance is assessed as missed collections per 100,000 households, and the council described the collection rate as the highest risk against its targets, where the maximum loss expected per 100,000 households was capped at 800. In its report, Dorset Council attributed 83,962 missed collections to operational reasons, including staff shortages and lack of suitable vehicles, notably in Ferndown where glass could not be collected alongside mixed recycling. The remaining 20,711 were linked to external factors such as road closures, obstructive parking, and extreme weather including flooding.