Image: Bedford Independent
People across Bedford Borough will start getting weekly food waste collections from Monday, 30 March 2026, giving every household an easier way to recycle leftovers, out-of-date food and kitchen scraps instead of putting them in the black bin.
Food waste will be collected every week and turned into renewable energy and fertiliser, helping cut smells from rubbish bins and free up space in black-lidded bins.
Caddy deliveries are already underway, with all homes due to receive their containers by Monday, 30 March. Each household will get a small kitchen caddy for daily use and a larger outdoor food waste bin for weekly collections.
Flats with shared bins will receive a kitchen caddy for transferring food waste to the communal bins, and food collection points will be set up for flats without communal bin storage.
Each caddy comes with a leaflet explaining how the service will work for that type of property.
How the new caddies work
Both caddies have a locking mechanism that keeps the lid securely shut when the handle is down.
For the smaller kitchen caddy, this is designed to keep smells in and flies out. The larger outdoor caddy helps prevent rats, foxes, and other pests from accessing food waste awaiting collection.
Unlike in some areas, Bedfordians will be able to reuse ordinary plastic bags, paper or newspaper to line their kitchen caddy if they wish.
Bread bags, cereal box liners and similar packaging can all be reused as caddy liners. Residents can also buy purpose-made caddy liners, but these are not essential.
Food waste and any liners used are then placed in the larger outdoor caddy for weekly collection.
At the processing plant, the contractor removes the bags and paper before the food waste is treated through an automated process. Residents who prefer not to use a liner can put food waste straight into the caddy and rinse it after emptying.
What you can put in your food caddy
The new service will accept most everyday food waste, including:
Leftovers and plate scrapings
Out-of-date or spoiled food (with packaging removed)
Vegetable peelings and fruit cores
Meat and fish (raw or cooked, including bones)
Eggs and eggshells
Bread, cakes, rice and pasta
Teabags and coffee grounds
Pet food
Full details of what can and cannot be accepted will be included in the leaflet delivered with the caddies and on the council website.
“An important step”
Cllr Nicola Gribble (Independent, Renhold and Ravensden), portfolio holder for environment, said: “We are pleased to be introducing weekly food waste collections for everyone in Bedford Borough.
“This new service is an important step towards reducing our carbon footprint, cutting waste, and recycling more of the materials we all use every day.
“Every household can play a part – by recycling food waste, however small an amount, residents are helping generate green energy and support local agriculture, all while keeping rubbish bins fresher and lighter.”
Food waste collections start from Monday, 30 March 2026. Updated collection calendars will be available on the council website before the service begins, and residents will be able to check their collection day at www.bedford.gov.uk/bins
For more information about what you can put in your caddy and to let the council know if you have not received a caddy by early April or if you need a replacement, head to bedford.gov.uk/foodwaste.