Bedford Borough Council has announced plans to expand its kerbside recycling services, including a borough-wide kerbside glass collection and a weekly food waste service, starting in 2026.
Under the new arrangements, all households will have kerbside glass collections through their orange-lidded bins, with bottle banks to be gradually removed where appropriate.
A weekly food waste collection service is scheduled to launch in April 2026, alongside a borough-wide waste education campaign.
The measures were confirmed by Mayor Tom Wootton (Conservative) and the council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, Cllr Nicola Gribble (Independent), in a bid to improve recycling services across the Borough.
“These changes represent a significant step forward in our environmental ambitions for the Borough. With years of recycling rates stagnating it’s clear we need to act,” said Cllr Gribble.
“The introduction of kerbside glass collection will make recycling more convenient for families, while weekly food waste collection will help us divert valuable organic waste from landfill.”
Green bins
As part of the plans, a new waste communications project will also be launched to encourage greater recycling and waste reduction.
The council has also reiterated that there are no plans to introduce charges for green bin garden waste collection during the current mayoral term.
Green bin collections are, however, currently suspended after a fire at the Elstow Waste Transfer site on 4 July.
Read: Council pause green waste collections following Elstow waste site fire
Further details on the timetable and collection arrangements are expected to be shared with residents in the coming months.
