More than 100,000 missed bin collections were reported by Dorset Council in the last financial year, with the highest number of issues occurring in and around Ferndown.
A total of 110,667 missed household collections were recorded for the year ending March 2026.
The council’s performance target allows for no more than 800 missed collections per 100,000 households, but the latest figures show the rate is significantly higher than this target.
According to a council report, 83,962 missed collections were due to operational reasons, including staff shortages and a lack of suitable vehicles.
In Ferndown, the absence of a vehicle capable of collecting both glass and mixed recycling at the same time was a particular problem.
An additional 20,711 missed collections were attributed to external factors such as road closures, obstructive parking and extreme weather, including flooding.
