Bedford Borough Council has launched a trial that will make it easier for residents to recycle glass bottles and jars.

During the trial, residents in the designated areas will be able to recycle the following glass items in their orange-lidded bins:

• Glass bottles (any colour or size).
• Glass jars (for example for sauces, jam, baby food).
• Non-food glass bottles (for example perfume, aftershave, face cream).

The following glass items are not accepted in the trial and should continue to be placed in the black bin or taken to the Household Waste Recycling Centre:

• Drinking glasses.
• Glass cookware (eg Pyrex, microwave oven plates).
• Vases.
• Window or greenhouse panes.

Areas included in the trial

Residents in West Kempston, Keysoe, Riseley and Pertenhall have been selected for the trial which will allow them to place glass bottles and jars in their orange lidded bin for collection. 

The trial is expected to last for nine months.

Different types of households from individual dwellings, houses in multiple occupation and blocks of flats, across both rural and urban areas are included. This is to help us understand what impact extra glass in the orange lidded bins may have on collections.

Trial details

• First collections will begin on the 13 May and the trial will run for nine months.
• Leaflets have been delivered to all households in the trial area.
• Landlords and managing agents with properties in the trial, that have communal bins, have been offered revised signage.
• Stickers with relevant information will also be placed on all available orange lidded bins that are included in the trial.

We will monitor the trial throughout to assess the impact on existing collection rounds and if any changes need to be introduced. In particular, we want to understand fluctuations in the volume of glass in the bins, especially during summer, Christmas and New Year when the glass waste is generally highest.

Why we are running this trial

The ‘Simpler Recycling’ scheme announced by Government in October 2023, amongst other things, announced the introduction of glass recycling collections for all households by 2026.

While Bedford Borough Council already collects over 2,700 tonnes of glass annually through glass banks at our mini-recycling sites, analysis of household waste suggests a significant amount of glass (an estimated 1,500 additional tonnes) ends up in domestic black bins. This trial aims to capture this missed glass and boost overall recycling rates.