Recycling rules for Bedford
Based on Bedford published guidance · Last verified October 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Bedford.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Bedford
Polystyrene: Usually general waste (UK-wide position)UK-wide, not council-specific
Across the UK, polystyrene is rarely collected at the kerbside and usually belongs in general waste. Bedford's published guidance we hold doesn't list it.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Food waste: Bedford has a separate food waste collection
Takes raw and cooked food, plate scrapings, leftovers, fruit, vegetables, bread, rice, pasta, cereals, baked goods, meat, fish and small bones that fit in the kitchen caddy and more.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Your bins in Bedford, by colour
Container colours as published by Bedford. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Green bin
Garden waste
Green is the garden waste colour in 45 of the 114 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
Black bin
Rubbish which cannot be recycled or composted
Black is the general rubbish colour in 40 of the 78 councils with a checked general rubbish colour.
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Orange lid bins - mixed recycling:
- Paper and cardboard
- Metal packaging (tins, cans, foil and aerosols)
- Plastic food and drink packaging · Bottles, pots, tubs and trays only
- TetraPak cartons
- Glass bottles and jars
Not accepted
- Recycling in black or opaque sacks · Will not be collected
- Wet cardboard cannot be recycled
Tips (3)
- • Squash and crush items to save space
- • Do not present recycling in black or opaque sacks
- • Large cardboard boxes must be flat packed
Food Waste
Accepted
What goes in your food waste bin, you can put in:
- Raw and cooked food, plate scrapings, leftovers
- Fruit, vegetables, bread, rice, pasta, cereals, baked goods
- Meat, fish and small bones that fit in the kitchen caddy
- Dairy products, eggs and eggshells
- Tea bags, coffee grounds, solidified oils/fats
- Pet food (but not pet litter, bedding or excrement)
- Out‑of‑date food (remove packaging where possible, loose food in clear plastic bags is OK)
Not accepted
What goes in your food waste bin, do not put in:
- Liquids like milk, juice and oils
- Garden waste, soil, stones, plastic plant pots (use your green bin or the Household Waste Recycling Centre)Instead: Green bin or Household Waste Recycling Centre
- Glass, metal, wood and cardboardInstead: Check the Recycling Locator
- Animal waste and beddingInstead: General waste bin
- Coffee pods, disposable cups, cutlery, compostable packaging · Do not break down quickly enough
- Large meat bones · Won't fit in kitchen caddy
Garden waste goes in the green bin (see your bins by colour). We don't have a checked list of what goes in it yet.
See Bedford's own guidanceNeighbouring councils we have checked: Milton Keynes, Central Bedfordshire.
When are bins collected in Bedford?
This page covers what goes in each bin. Collection days are set by the council and vary by street. See how to find your bin collection day, or browse streets by postcode to see schedules your neighbours have added.
Check with the council over bank holidays. See the council’s page →
In Bedford’s own words: “Most bins are emptied on an alternate weekly basis. Food waste is collected weekly.”
No streets in Bedford on BinBosh yet: be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
How we checked this page
We read 3 pages of Bedford’s website on 29 October 2026 and checked each of the 28 facts on this page against the council’s own words before publishing it.
Source: Bedford council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
What colour are the bins in Bedford?
In Bedford the garden waste bin is green and the general rubbish bin is black. Bedford also lists an orange bin for recycling, and a grey bin for food waste. Green is the garden waste colour in 45 of the 114 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
Where does glass go in Bedford?
Glass goes in the recycling bin in Bedford (“Glass bottles and jars”).
What goes in the recycling bin in Bedford?
Bedford’s recycling bin takes “Paper and cardboard”, “Metal packaging (tins, cans, foil and aerosols)” and “Plastic food and drink packaging”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Bedford? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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