Almost half of Bedford Borough homes now have their kitchen caddies and outdoor food bins ahead of the start of weekly food waste collections from Monday, 30 March.
By the beginning of February, 40,000 caddies had been delivered, but with over 80,000 homes in the Borough, the remaining half will be completed by the end of March.
The weekly kerbside food waste collections are a legal requirement of all councils in England from 1 April 2026.
All homes will receive a kitchen caddy to make recycling food waste straightforward and hygienic, with most properties receiving both a small kitchen caddy for use indoors and a larger outdoor food waste bin for kerbside collection.
If you live in a flat
In most cases, where a flat already has its own set of wheelie bins, a separate outdoor food waste bin will also be provided. In some smaller blocks, outdoor food waste bins may also be issued where there is space to store them safely near communal bins.
Other flats will receive an indoor kitchen caddy and a leaflet explaining how to recycle their food waste. Depending on the property, these residents will either use a silver-lidded communal food waste bin in their bin store or a shared food waste collection point nearby.
A leaflet with details of specific arrangements and further information about the food waste service will be sent to each home in Bedford Borough in March.
Cllr Nicola Gribble (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden ward), portfolio holder for environment, said, “It is encouraging to see the delivery of food caddies progressing well across Bedford Borough.
“Recycling food waste is an important step towards supporting a more sustainable future for our community. The council would like to thank residents for their patience as deliveries continue.”
Residents can visit bedford.gov.uk/foodwaste for information and answers to frequently asked questions about food waste recycling and caddy deliveries, including information on what to do if a delivery has been missed or if a caddy is damaged.
