All the changes coming to make recycling ‘easier’ in Central Bedfordshire - including glass recycling
Changes are coming to the way recycling is done in Central Bedfordshire - starting at the end of March.
The council claims recycling “is about to get a whole lot easier”.
Residents will be able to recycle their glass bottles and jars from their homes, as the council starts to remove bottle banks across the area.
People can place their glass in their dry recycling collection bins - alongside paper, card, cans, tins, aluminium foil, plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and cartons.
Residents should use the existing bins, with green or orange lids or an orange sack.
Those who have their glass collection from a box will need to use the dry recycling bin from March 30.
Broken glass bottles and jars can also be placed in the kerbside recycling bin, as long as the items are wrapped in paper, or placed in a cardboard box in the bin.
Drinking glasses, Pyrex, light bulbs, mirrors, ceramics and cookware should be taken to the nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC). But, if they are broken, they can go in the black bin.
Some bin collection dates will change to increase capacity for the new recycling service. All affected households will get a letter with updated collection dates, which will also be published on the council’s website before the changes take effect.
From the end of March all those living in flats will get weekly food waste collections for the first time - with food waste caddies and bins to be delivered from late February and throughout March.
Cllr Tracey Wye called it “a major step forward in making recycling simpler and more consistent”.
She said: “Adding glass to dry recycling bins means no more trips to the bottle bank, while introducing food waste caddies for flats means every household can recycle food waste weekly.
“Including glass in recycling collections will increase the volume of material collected, which means additional vehicles are needed. To keep services running efficiently, we therefore need to reorganise some collection rounds.
“Our residents have told us that being able to recycle glass through their kerbside collections is really important to them, so we’re pleased to roll out this new service.”
Meanwhile, garden waste collections will restart from Monday, February 23 after the winter break.
Subscriptions for the 2026/27 garden waste collection season will open in early March – you can find out more here.