Consultation: Help shape how we reduce and manage waste in Central Bedfordshire

Objectives of the waste strategy

There are 3 core objectives:

We will facilitate community leadership of waste hierarchy and circular economy activities and behaviours by:

using resources, such as waste and recycling information on this website, to inform, educate, signpost and connect individuals, groups or organisations
engaging with individuals, groups or organisations to identify self-sustaining partnership opportunities
encouraging advocacy and practice of sustainable waste management and circular economy behaviour by engaging with members of the public and volunteers within the community

We will also improve Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) operations and manage demand by:

enhancing the customer experience, reducing queues and providing better support for residents
diverting as much waste from HWRCs for reuse, recycling or composting to avoid energy from waste treatment or landfill
continuing to ensure only our residents, who pay for the service through their Council Tax, use the HWRCs, and reduce demand and costs caused by non-resident use
preventing commercial / trade waste from being deposited and managed at the expense of residents
considering how different waste types are accepted and managed to minimise the amount of waste that needs disposal
continuing to support initiatives that prevent unnecessary waste, such as home composting and reusable nappies
considering opportunities to support the work of others to deliver targeted activities that reduce waste, such as repair cafés and libraries of things

We will:

expand the glass kerbside recycling service to include all households by 31 March 2026*
expand the food waste recycling service to include all households by 31 March 2026*
provide plastic films/bags (i.e. soft plastics) kerbside recycling for all households by 31 March 2027*
consider introducing separate paper and card kerbside collections to optimise the quality of recycling materials*
seek to optimise the amount of litter and street sweepings that are recycled or composted, rather than being treated by Energy from Waste or landfilled
consider a review of the reuse offering at HWRCs
consider further reuse and recycling opportunities at HWRCs (such as electrical equipment, plastic toys, furniture and mattresses)
continue to support and where appropriate facilitate, initiatives that increase reuse, repair, recycling and composting
facilitate and, where appropriate, enable reuse, repurposing, recycling and composting initiatives with others who are in the best place to provide sustainable community initiatives
explore commercial waste recycling and composting opportunities such as providing waste collections from schools and / or other non-domestic premises

* Objectives or measures driven by government policies and legislation.

We will provide a service that works well, keeps costs down, complies with legislation and can handle change by:

carrying out robust, timely and competitive procurement processes, to secure best value for residents
considering how services are provided, including investment in infrastructure within Central Bedfordshire to improve service resilience and performance, provide longer-term budget certainty (including opportunities to generate income) and enhance flexibility to adapt to market and legislative changes
working with the government, other councils, representative bodies and stakeholders to ensure risks and opportunities are identified, managed and realised