Kerbside Recycling Collections
The Bedfordshire authorities provide kerbside collections for dry recyclables and green garden waste. Containers for your household (dry) recyclables and/or your 'green' garden waste are available from your local council.
In Bedfordshire we are currently producing over 200,000 tonnes of household waste every year. This is expected to keep on rising due to both our increased preference for highly packaged, throwaway items and the additional waste generated by people moving into the area.
" Recycle Now" is a partnership campaign between Bedfordshire County Council, Bedford Borough Council, Mid Bedfordshire District Council and South Bedfordshire District Council which aims to increase the level of recycling and composting in Bedfordshire.
Recycling is the process of taking waste material and reprocessing it to make new products. As a Bedfordshire resident you have a variety of services available to help you to recycle your household waste.
These include:

For more information on the kerbside recycling schemes in your area, please contact your local council:

Bedford Borough Council Tel: 0800 1218888
Mid Bedfordshire District Council Tel: 08452 304040
South Bedfordshire Council Tel: 01582 472222

Local Recycling Sites
Bedfordshire has nearly 180 local recycling sites in many convenient locations throuhout the county including supermarkets, village halls, public houses and community centre car parks. The materials that can be taken to your local recycling site include:

Glass bottles and jars
Tins and cans
Newpspapers & magazines
Textiles and shoes


To find out where your nearest local recycling site is and what material can be taken there, please click here, and enter your post code in the "Where to recycle?" section.

Home composting
You can also recycle your kitchen and garden waste using a home compost bin. Home composting is a cheap and easy way of providing your garden with an environmentally friendly garden conditioner. Rich in plant nutrients, compost is a crumbly, brown, soil-like material, which forms from the decomposition of organic matter. The addition of compost to your soil will improve its structure and increase the level of biological activity, both of which are vital for successful plant growth.

Your local council provides Home Composters at a reduced rate. For more information on home composting call your local council:

Bedford Borough Council Tel: 01234 227364
Mid-Bedfordshire District Council Tel: 08451 306090
South Bedfordshire District Council Tel: 08451 306090

To order a reduced price home compost bin please call 08450 770757
or click here

Household Waste Recycling Centres
There are five Household Waste Recycling Centres in the county. These are located at:

Ampthill - Abbey Lane Tel: 01525 403611
Bedford - Barkers Lane Tel: 01234 354917
Biggleswade - Bells Brook Tel: 01767 313684
Dunstable - Frenchs Avenue Tel: 01525 609212
Leighton Buzzard - Shenley Hill Road Tel: 01525 371619

You can recycle the following items at any of the HWRC sites:
Glass bottles & jars
Corrugated cardboard
Garden waste
Wood
Paper
Paint
Newspapers and magazines
Drinks cans
Clothing & shoes
Scrap metal
Fridges and freezers
Other white goods
Household and car batteries


You may need a permit to gain access to the site depending on the type of waste and the vehicle you use. This doesn't affect the majority of users but if you are unsure, please call the permit line for advice on 01234 408386 or click here before you visit.

For more information about Household Waste Recycling Centres please call Bedfordshire County Council on 01234 228385, or visit www.bedfordshire.gov.uk.

 
Recycling Education/Information
Want to know more about recycling in general? Always wondered why we don't collect plastic margarine tubs and yoghurt pots? Would you like an opportunity to visit Elstow Materials Recycling Facility and see what happens to your recyclables once they are collected? Heard about our Recycling Exhibition Trailer and want to arrange a visit to your school or event?

For further information, call Bedfordshire County Council
on 01234 228385, or visit www.bedfordshire.gov.uk

To find out more about recycling nationally visit www.recyclenow.com