Most households in Bedford Borough have:
- a 180-litre black-lidded bin for general waste
- a 240-litre orange-lidded bin for recycling
- a 240-litre green-lidded bin for garden waste
- a 23-litre outdoor food waste bin.
If you live in a flat, please speak to your managing agent, landlord or caretaker first, as bin arrangements may be managed for the whole building.
Learn about waste and recycling for flats
Using the Recycling Locator to find where you can take items to be recycled that cannot go in your orange-lidded bin.
If you still need more capacity, please read the advice below before making a request. Reducing waste can save you money, reduce clutter and help you buy only what you need.
Food waste capacity
If your food waste bin fills up too quickly:
- plan meals, use a list when you shop, and buy only what you need
- store food properly so it lasts longer
- check what can go in your food waste bin
- visit Love Food Hate Waste for more tips on reducing food waste and saving money
Recycling
If your recycling bin is full:
- flatten cardboard boxes and squash packaging to save space
- put occasional extra recycling next to your bin in a clear or white see-through sack or dry cardboard box so it does not blow away, do not use black plastic bags
- take large amounts of cardboard to the Household Waste Recycling Centre in Bedford
- you can purchase an additional orange-lidded bin for a one-off charge.
General waste
If your black-lidded bin is too full:
- recycle, compost or reuse items where possible
- buy only what you need and avoid over-packaged products
- check the council’s waste and recycling advice for more ways to reduce general waste.
Garden waste
If your green-lidded bin is full:
- try home composting if you can
- make sure only garden waste goes in the bin
- take extra garden waste to the Household Waste Recycling Centre
- you can purchase an additional green-lidded bin for a one-off charge.
Apply for extra capacity
If you have tried the advice above and still need more capacity on an ongoing basis, the following options are available:
- If you have moved to a property with a smaller general waste or recycling wheelie bin, you can swap this for a standard sized one.
- Order an extra recycling, garden or food waste bin, there is a charge for an extra recycling or garden waste bin.
- You can also request a larger recycling or general household waste bin if:
- there are a large number of permanent, full-time occupants at the property
- there are special circumstances, such as medical waste or another assessed need
Request extra capacity for waste or recycling
Read our Waste and Recycling Operational Policies document (PDF) to find pricing for additional bins and learn how bins are allocated. This policy is being updated to due to recent changes to collections.
New build property - no bins yet?
If you have just moved into a new build property and you don’t have any bins, you can request them using the online form below.
By submitting the form, you agree to how we process your personal data.
Request bins for a new-build property
Once you have your bins, you will be able to use the bin day 'look-up' tool to check your bin day.
Subscribe to email bulletins
You can subscribe to email bulletins for bin collection updates and recycling tips
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- You can also request a larger recycling or general household waste bin if:
- There are a large number of permanent, full-time occupants at the property
- here are special circumstances, such as medical waste or another assessed need
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