Central Bedfordshire bin collections

Which bin is which in Central Bedfordshire

The black bin is for rubbish. Dry recycling goes in the bin with a green lid in the north of the area or an orange lid in the south, and it has to go in loose: bagged recycling gets a red sorry tag and the bin stays full until your next collection day. Have everything at the edge of your property by 7am.

Garden waste: £58.23 a year

£58.23 covers 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, minus the winter break. There's no direct debit, no instalments and no discount for Council Tax Support, and it won't renew on its own. If your permit sticker hasn't turned up, put the bin out anyway. During the pause you can buy up to five reusable 55 litre sacks at £7.32 each for taking cuttings to a tidy tip, though the crews won't empty them from the kerb.

Sign up for garden waste collection

Weekly food waste collection

Collected every week on your usual day, from a 7 litre kitchen caddy and a 23 litre lockable outdoor bin. The council stopped supplying liners, but a bread bag or a few sheets of newspaper does the job.

Report a missed bin

Report it within 2 working days of the scheduled collection, or 48 hours for a food bin. Bins that weren't out by 7am don't count as missed.

Report a missed bin to Central Bedfordshire

Bulky waste collection from £72.50

£72.50 for up to 12 items, or £36.50 if you get Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support. Parts count separately, so a divan base, mattress and headboard is three items, and only one fridge or freezer goes per booking. The council says there's a 5-week wait because of a backlog.

Book a bulky waste collection

Recycling centres in Central Bedfordshire

Ampthill, Biggleswade, Leighton Buzzard and Thorn Turn are free for residents, but you need a booked 20-minute slot and the entry barrier checks the registration you booked with.

• Ampthill tidy tip booking needed
• Biggleswade tidy tip booking needed
• Leighton Buzzard tidy tip booking needed
• Thorn Turn tidy tip (near Dunstable) booking needed

Worth knowing in Central Bedfordshire

A standard 240 litre bin has a 70kg weight limit, and a lid open more than an inch or two can get it left behind. The tips open 9am to 5pm every day, bank holidays included. Some collection days changed with the new recycling service, so check yours if it's been a while.

Nearby councils

• Bedford