Bins and recycling in Central Bedfordshire

Your bins in Central Bedfordshire

• Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south)

  Collected every 2 weeks, on the week your black bin isn't collected Glass bottles and jars, cartons, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (no black plastic), paper, card, food and drink cans, foil and empty aerosols. Items must be clean, dry and loose, not in bags.

• Black refuse wheelie bin

  Collected every 2 weeks Household waste that can't be recycled, such as nappies, tissues, soft plastics and pet waste. Nothing left next to the bin is collected.

• Brown food waste bin and kitchen caddy

  Collected weekly A 7-litre indoor caddy and a 23-litre outdoor bin with a lockable handle. Takes cooked and raw food, small bones, peelings, teabags, coffee grounds and solidified fats, but no packaging.

• Garden waste wheelie bin (paid subscription)

  Collected every 2 weeks, apart from a 12-week winter pause 240-litre bin for garden waste, an optional subscription at 58.23 pounds a permit with no concessions. Grass cuttings, plants and weeds, flowers, prunings, hedge clippings, leaves and bark, vase and pond plants, shredded tree and shrub waste, all inside the bin. No turf, soil, rubble, food waste, plant pots, shredded paper or garden furniture. Reusable garden sacks can't be used for this collection.

• Carrier bag of small electricals next to your bin

  Collected on your normal collection day Small electricals no bigger than 35cm by 40cm, batteries removed, in a standard carrier bag (not a black bag) put next to your recycling or black bin by 7am. Don't put the bag in the bin.

• Carrier bag of household batteries next to your bin

  Collected on your normal collection day 6v, D, C, AA, AAA, 9v, button and mobile phone batteries in a standard carrier bag (not a black bag) put next to your recycling or black bin by 7am. Don't put the bag in the bin.

• Carrier bag of reusable textiles next to your bin

  Collected on your normal collection day Clean, dry reusable clothes, shoes tied in pairs, sheets, blankets, towels and household linen in a standard carrier bag (not a black bag) put next to your recycling or black bin by 7am. Don't put the bag in the bin.

Source: Central Bedfordshire Council's website.

Bin days in Central Bedfordshire

Check your collection day with Central Bedfordshire Council's bin day lookup, or use Bin days on this site.

Garden waste and bulky items

Garden waste collection: £58.23 a year. £58.23 per permit for the service year starting 1 April 2026, the same rate for everyone with no concessions; no direct debit or instalments and it doesn't renew automatically; sign up by 17 March 2026 to get the pack before the start; the page doesn't say whether 2027 sign-up is open. (source)

Paid collection of up to 12 large items: 72.50 pounds, or 36.50 pounds with Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support. Book online; the page currently warns of a 5-week wait. Only one fridge or freezer can be included per booking. Book or check prices with Central Bedfordshire Council.

Recycling centres for Central Bedfordshire

Household waste recycling centres take what your bins can't. Some need a booking: check before you go.

• Ampthill Household Waste Recycling Centre (tidy tip)

  Abbey Lane, off Oliver Street, Ampthill, MK45 2SA

  Opening hours: Open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week, including bank holidays.

  Booking: Booking required for every visit: free 20-minute slot, up to 2 weeks ahead; give the registration of the vehicle you arrive in (automated barrier). Vans, pick-ups and cars towing a single-axle trailer also need a waste permit (one visit each; up to 12 permits in 12 months), requested when you book. Book: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/household-waste-recycling-centres-tidy-tips/book-slot-visit-tidy-tip

  Map position is the postcode centre. Central Bedfordshire residents only. A free waste permit, requested when you book, is needed for: mattresses (2 per household a year), carpet and underlay (2 visits a year), DIY waste (up to 6 items a month), used engine oil (20 litres a visit), tyres (a per-tyre charge applies; the council pages give 11.30 and 11.70 pounds), large gas bottles (2 a year) and large fire extinguishers (1 a year); small domestic fire extinguishers and small gas bottles need none. Domestic fridges and freezers are not accepted until further notice. No asbestos, petrol or other hazardous waste, large lithium batteries (e-bike, e-scooter) or trade waste. Has a hard plastics container.

  Source: centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

• Biggleswade Household Waste Recycling Centre (tidy tip)

  Bells Brook, Biggleswade, SG18 0NA

  Opening hours: Open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week, including bank holidays.

  Booking: Booking required for every visit: free 20-minute slot, up to 2 weeks ahead; give the registration of the vehicle you arrive in (automated barrier). Vans, pick-ups and cars towing a single-axle trailer also need a waste permit (one visit each; up to 12 permits in 12 months), requested when you book. Book: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/household-waste-recycling-centres-tidy-tips/book-slot-visit-tidy-tip

  Map position is the postcode centre. Central Bedfordshire residents only. A free waste permit, requested when you book, is needed for: mattresses (2 per household a year), carpet and underlay (2 visits a year), DIY waste (up to 6 items a month), used engine oil (20 litres a visit), tyres (a per-tyre charge applies; the council pages give 11.30 and 11.70 pounds), large gas bottles (2 a year) and large fire extinguishers (1 a year); small domestic fire extinguishers and small gas bottles need none. Domestic fridges and freezers are not accepted until further notice. No asbestos, petrol or other hazardous waste, large lithium batteries (e-bike, e-scooter) or trade waste. Has a hard plastics container.

  Source: centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

• Leighton Buzzard Household Waste Recycling Centre (tidy tip)

  Shenley Hill Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 3BT

  Opening hours: Open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week, including bank holidays.

  Booking: Booking required for every visit: free 20-minute slot, up to 2 weeks ahead; give the registration of the vehicle you arrive in (automated barrier). Vans, pick-ups and cars towing a single-axle trailer also need a waste permit (one visit each; up to 12 permits in 12 months), requested when you book. Book: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/household-waste-recycling-centres-tidy-tips/book-slot-visit-tidy-tip

  Map position is the postcode centre. Central Bedfordshire residents only. A free waste permit, requested when you book, is needed for: mattresses (2 per household a year), carpet and underlay (2 visits a year), DIY waste (up to 6 items a month), used engine oil (20 litres a visit), tyres (a per-tyre charge applies; the council pages give 11.30 and 11.70 pounds), large gas bottles (2 a year) and large fire extinguishers (1 a year); small domestic fire extinguishers and small gas bottles need none. Domestic fridges and freezers are not accepted until further notice. No asbestos, petrol or other hazardous waste, large lithium batteries (e-bike, e-scooter) or trade waste. Has a hard plastics container.

  Source: centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

• Thorn Turn Household Waste Recycling Centre (tidy tip)

  Grendall Lane (off Thorn Road), Houghton Regis, LU5 6GJ

  Opening hours: Open 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week, including bank holidays.

  Booking: Booking required for every visit: free 20-minute slot, up to 2 weeks ahead; give the registration of the vehicle you arrive in (automated barrier). Vans, pick-ups and cars towing a single-axle trailer also need a waste permit (one visit each; up to 12 permits in 12 months), requested when you book. Book: https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/waste-and-recycling/household-waste-recycling-centres-tidy-tips/book-slot-visit-tidy-tip

  Map position is the postcode centre. Central Bedfordshire residents only. A free waste permit, requested when you book, is needed for: mattresses (2 per household a year), carpet and underlay (2 visits a year), DIY waste (up to 6 items a month), used engine oil (20 litres a visit), tyres (a per-tyre charge applies; the council pages give 11.30 and 11.70 pounds), large gas bottles (2 a year) and large fire extinguishers (1 a year); small domestic fire extinguishers and small gas bottles need none. Domestic fridges and freezers are not accepted until further notice. No asbestos, petrol or other hazardous waste, large lithium batteries (e-bike, e-scooter) or trade waste. Reuse shop on site (open to everyone, no booking needed just to visit it; closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day) taking furniture with fire labels, small electricals, books, toys, tools and more, not clothing; a separate trade waste facility is also at this site.

  Source: centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Where common items go in Central Bedfordshire

• Pizza boxThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black refuse wheelie bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Plastic carrier bagNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Crisp packetNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Black plastic ready-meal trayThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black refuse wheelie bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Paper coffee cupThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black refuse wheelie bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Wine bottleYes. Put it in your Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Glass jarYes. Put it in your Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Kitchen foilYes. Put it in your Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Food scraps and leftoversYes. Put it in your Brown food waste bin and kitchen caddy. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Tea bagYes. Put it in your Brown food waste bin and kitchen caddy. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• ClothesYes. Put it in your Carrier bag of reusable textiles next to your bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Battery (not sure which type)Yes. Put it in your Carrier bag of household batteries next to your bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Disposable vapeNot in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Light bulb (not sure which type)Not in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Small household applianceYes. Put it in your Carrier bag of small electricals next to your bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Paint tinNot in any home bin. Take it to a household waste recycling centre. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Real Christmas treeYes. Put it in your Garden waste wheelie bin (paid subscription). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Cardboard boxYes. Put it in your Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Food cartonYes. Put it in your Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Plastic drinks bottleYes. Put it in your Dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south). Source: Central Bedfordshire Council
• Till receiptThis can't be recycled here. Put it in your Black refuse wheelie bin. Source: Central Bedfordshire Council

Something else? Search any item and choose Central Bedfordshire as your council.

Common questions

What goes in the dry recycling wheelie bin (green lid in the north, orange lid in the south) in Central Bedfordshire?

Glass bottles and jars, cartons, plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays (no black plastic), paper, card, food and drink cans, foil and empty aerosols. Items must be clean, dry and loose, not in bags.

What goes in the black refuse wheelie bin in Central Bedfordshire?

Household waste that can't be recycled, such as nappies, tissues, soft plastics and pet waste. Nothing left next to the bin is collected.

What goes in the brown food waste bin and kitchen caddy in Central Bedfordshire?

A 7-litre indoor caddy and a 23-litre outdoor bin with a lockable handle. Takes cooked and raw food, small bones, peelings, teabags, coffee grounds and solidified fats, but no packaging.

What goes in the garden waste wheelie bin (paid subscription) in Central Bedfordshire?

240-litre bin for garden waste, an optional subscription at 58.23 pounds a permit with no concessions. Grass cuttings, plants and weeds, flowers, prunings, hedge clippings, leaves and bark, vase and pond plants, shredded tree and shrub waste, all inside the bin. No turf, soil, rubble, food waste, plant pots, shredded paper or garden furniture. Reusable garden sacks can't be used for this collection.

What goes in the carrier bag of small electricals next to your bin in Central Bedfordshire?

Small electricals no bigger than 35cm by 40cm, batteries removed, in a standard carrier bag (not a black bag) put next to your recycling or black bin by 7am. Don't put the bag in the bin.

What goes in the carrier bag of household batteries next to your bin in Central Bedfordshire?

6v, D, C, AA, AAA, 9v, button and mobile phone batteries in a standard carrier bag (not a black bag) put next to your recycling or black bin by 7am. Don't put the bag in the bin.

What goes in the carrier bag of reusable textiles next to your bin in Central Bedfordshire?

Clean, dry reusable clothes, shoes tied in pairs, sheets, blankets, towels and household linen in a standard carrier bag (not a black bag) put next to your recycling or black bin by 7am. Don't put the bag in the bin.

When is my bin day in Central Bedfordshire?

It depends on your street. Enter your address in Central Bedfordshire Council's bin day lookup (centralbedfordshire.gov.uk), or use Bin days on Recycle This.