Deliveries of new food waste caddies have been taking place across Bedford Borough since 1 January. Separate weekly food waste collections will start from Monday, 30 March 2026. As of the start of February, crews have already delivered over 40,000 kitchen caddies and outdoor food bins to homes across the borough, with more being distributed each day. With over 80,000 residential properties in Bedford Borough, the team is well on the way to their target of completing deliveries to all homes by Monday, 30 March.
All homes will receive a kitchen caddy to make recycling food waste straightforward and hygienic. Most properties will receive both a small kitchen caddy for use indoors and a larger outdoor food waste bin for kerbside collection.
In most cases, where a flat already has its own set of wheelie bins, a separate outdoor food waste bin will also be provided. In some smaller blocks, outdoor food waste bins may also be issued where there is space to store them safely near communal bins.
Other flats will receive an indoor kitchen caddy and a leaflet explaining how to recycle their food waste. Depending on the property, these residents will either use a silver-lidded communal food waste bin in their bin store or a shared food waste collection point nearby.
A leaflet with details of specific arrangements and further information about the food waste service will be sent to each home in Bedford Borough in March.
Councillor Nicola Gribble, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said, “It is encouraging to see the delivery of food caddies progressing well across Bedford Borough. Recycling food waste is an important step towards supporting a more sustainable future for our community. The council would like to thank residents for their patience as deliveries continue.”
Residents can visit www.bedford.gov.uk/foodwaste for information and answers to frequently asked questions about food waste recycling and caddy deliveries, including information on what to do if a delivery has been missed or if a caddy is damaged.
From Wednesday, 1 April 2026, councils in England are legally required to provide weekly food waste collections from all households as part of new requirements under the Environment Act 2021.
Bedford Borough is introducing this service to meet that duty and improve local recycling. Collecting food waste separately helps to recover energy and nutrients from food that is thrown away.