We'll be rolling out garden waste recycling bins from mid-August
Monday, 3 August 2020
This initiative follows our 2018 waste consultation, which revealed that residents were overwhelmingly supportive of recycling and wanted the option to recycle more of their garden waste.
After considering the feedback and to make it easier, we're offering residents in the north of Central Bedfordshire a free 240-litre garden waste bin to replace the two garden waste sacks which are currently provided.
You can order a bin online if you'd like to replace your sacks with the free 240-litre bin. Garden waste bins are limited to one per household. If you do take delivery of a garden waste bin, you won't be able to present your reusable garden sacks and if they are presented, they will be removed.
Flyers will be sent to every house in the north of Central Bedfordshire, starting this week, with bin deliveries starting from week commencing Monday, 17 August. As soon as you receive your bin, you can start using it.
We have an ambition to increase recycling rates and want to do everything we can to help you recycle more. The new contract will help us to harmonise services across the whole of Central Bedfordshire.
Councillor Ian Dalgarno, our Executive Member for Community Services, said:
We are really pleased to be in a position to roll-out garden bins in the north of Central Bedfordshire. During the current pandemic more and more people have been at home, spending time in their gardens, and having the new garden waste bins to dispose of their garden waste will be very beneficial.
Our new waste service means we are able to roll out better recycling services for our residents. This is just the first step. Food waste collections are already happening for households in the north of Central Bedfordshire and it is anticipated that we will be rolling this service out to those in the south later this year.
It’s clear to me that our residents care a great deal about the environment and recycling more and our consultation confirmed this, with nearly everyone (94%) saying they believed it’s important to help people recycle as much as possible. Whilst many people are diligent recyclers, we need to do more to improve this across Central Bedfordshire. With these new bins we’re making every effort to make it as easy as possible for residents to recycle as much of their waste as possible.
Still want to use garden waste sacks?
You don't have to use a wheelie bin, though. You might have a small garden and don't need a full-sized bin, or have anywhere to store it. That's fine; you can continue to use your garden waste sacks.
From now on, you'll need to order garden waste sacks online; these will no longer be available from town council offices, or via reception at our head office, Priory House..