Food caddies being delivered to addresses across Bedford as town prepares for waste collections
Some of you may have noticed little grey bins being delivered across the town.
Well, fear not, as it’s only the council preparing for weekly food waste collections which begin on March 30.
You’ll be able to recycle leftovers, out-of-date food, tea bags, pet food and scraps rather than putting them in the black bin.
The collected food waste will then be turned into renewable energy and fertiliser.
Each household will get a small kitchen caddy for daily use, alongside a larger outdoor food waste bin for weekly collections. Flats with shared bins will receive a kitchen caddy for transferring waste to their communal food waste bins. Food collection sites will be established for flats without communal bin storage. A leaflet will be in the caddy explaining the service for each type of residence.
The caddies have a locking mechanism so that when the handle is down, the lid is held securely. For the smaller kitchen caddy, this helps keep smells in and flies out, a common problem with many kitchen bins. For the larger caddy, this is designed to stop rats, foxes and other pests from accessing the food waste waiting to be collected.
Unlike some areas, Bedford borough residents will be able to reuse ordinary plastic bags, paper or newspaper to line their kitchen caddy. This can help make it easier and less messy to transfer food waste to the larger caddy.
This means bread bags, bags from cereal boxes and more can all be reused as caddy liners.
It’s also possible to buy caddy liners at supermarkets and online, but these aren’t essential. The food waste and liner (if one is used) all go into the larger outdoor food caddy for collection each week.
At the processing plant, bags and newspaper liners are removed by the contractor before the food waste is treated through an automated process. For those that prefer, it’s also possible to use no liner and then give the caddy a quick rinse after emptying.
Councillor Nicola Gribble, portfolio holder for environment, said: “We’re 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.”
If you haven’t received your food waste caddies by early April, or need a replacement, you can request these via the council’s website.