Glass recycling begins after fire delayed scheme

Two wine bottles, one beer bottle and three food bottles, two with lids on, resting on the side of a recycling wheelie bin, with an orange lid, and black body. There is rubbish inside the bin. The bin is by a brick wall, with grass on the ground. Image source, Bedford Borough Council
Image caption,

Items made out of glass can be put in Bedford Borough Council recycling bins from December

  • Published

The rollout of kerbside glass collection will start in two months after it was delayed by a fire at a waste storage site, a local authority said.

Bedford Borough Council said glass bottles, jars and containers will be collected from orange recycling bins from 1 December.

The fire at Elstow Waste Transfer Station near Bedford broke out at about 21:00 BST on 4 July and was put out seven days later.

The building, which temporarily stored the borough's non-hazardous waste, was demolished so the blaze could be extinguished.

Two fire fighters, standing on chard remains of recycling rubbish, at a large waste site. There is smoke coming up from the rubbish, and concrete structures around the waste. Image source, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Image caption,

Firefighters worked for days at the Elstow Waste Transfer Station to put out the blaze

The authority said it had worked closely with contractors to "ensure that the necessary infrastructure is fully in place to manage the expected increase in recycled glass tonnage effectively".

A glass collection pilot scheme, which began in May 2024 and expanded to other parts of the borough that December, led "to increased recycling rates", the council said.

Nicola Gribble, an independent councillor at the authority and portfolio holder for environment, said: "The strong response to our trial proves that residents want to recycle more glass, and making this part of regular collections is a straightforward way to help our environment and reduce waste."

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