Bedford Borough Council is happy to announce the expansion of its successful glass recycling trial to an additional 12,000 households across the Borough from Monday 9 December.
Following the promising initial phase, this expansion aims to capture the increased glass waste generated during the festive period and further test the kerbside collection process.
Councillor Jim Weir, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Highways and Transport, said; "We're delighted to extend this vital initiative. The initial trial has shown fantastic results, with an average 28% increase in overall recycling tonnage and minimal disruption to existing collections. Expanding the program allows us to assess the impact of Christmas and New Year on glass waste, a key period for household recycling."
Residents in designated areas of Bedford, Bromham, Kempston, Stewartby, Sharnbrook, Wixams, Odell, Wilden, Renhold and Kempston Hardwick will soon benefit from this extended trial.
What to expect:
- Participating households will receive a sticker on their orange-lidded bin and a leaflet through the door explaining the trial
- The trial includes glass bottles (any colour or size), jars (sauces, jam, baby food) and non-food glass bottles (perfume, etc.).
- Excluded items remain unchanged (drinking glasses, cookware, etc.)
- Collections in the expanded area will begin the week commencing Monday 9 December.
Launched in May 2024, the initial trial aimed to improve glass recycling convenience and capture an estimated 1,200 tonnes of glass currently ending up in black bins. The positive initial results pave the way for a more efficient and sustainable glass recycling system for Bedford Borough. This system of collecting glass would also ensure the Council remains compliant with the expected Simper Recycling reforms.
A further update on the progress of the trial will be announced in spring 2025. Residents can find further information on the trial, including a list of what types of glass can be recycled at www.bedford.gov.uk/BinsAndRecycling.
Residents who are not included in this trial are able to continue to take their glass bottles and jars to local mini-recycling sites. Glass no longer needs sorting by colour as it goes in the bottle bank as this can now be done at a later stage. Find a list of mini-recycling sites in Bedford Borough at www.bedford.gov.uk/MiniRecyclingSites. If a bottle bank is ever completely full, please report this using the details on the bank itself so the team can empty it.