We’ve done the research for you - here’s how to recycle nearby.
This directory gives information about the local drop off points to anyone living in or around the Ampthill area that wishes to recycle more. Click on the item you wish to recycle, and it will show your local options.
The main organisation that collects recycling is TerraCycle and all the money made goes to charity, so it is for a very good cause.
Please only leave the correct recycling at drop off points because leaving items not requested makes sorting the recycling more difficult and it then has to be disposed of. For example, only leave crisp packets at crisp packet drop offs and only medication blister packs at medication blister pack drop offs.
Good luck in your recycling journey.
Aerosol Cans (sprays) like hairspray, air freshener etc. can be put in your green lidded bin or orange bag.
Ballons & Banners – used foil balloons and banners can be recycled by handing in at
The Card Factory in Bedford or Milton Keynes.
The Card Factory, 17A Harpur Centre, Bedford, MK40 1TP OR
The Card Factory,93/95, Silbury Arcade , Milton Keynes, MK9 3AG
Batteries - 
Ampthill Tidy Tip, Abbey Lane, Ampthill, Bedfordshire, MK45 2SA
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Other local options;
Maulden lower school also accepts batteries for recycling;
Church Rd, Maulden, Bedfordshire MK45 2AU
Bicycles can be donated to;
The Reuse Shop
Thorn Turn Household Waste Recycling Centre
Grendall Lane
Bedfordshire
LU5 6GJ
Open 9am until 5pm, 7 days a week, including bank holidays (closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day)
Household Waste Recycling Centres (Tidy tips) | Central Bedfordshire Council
OR
Emmaus Village Carlton,
Emmaus Village Carlton - Homelessness Charity
School Lane, Carlton, MK43 7LQ
Tel ; 01234 720826
Our shop opening hours
As from 1 June, our shops are closing at 4pm instead of 4.30pm. However, the opening hours for em’s Bistro will remain the same, from 10am to 4pm, and also drop off times will remain the same (details below).
Our donation drop-off hours:
If you have items to donate in person, our drop-off area is now open Wednesday to Saturday 10am – 2.30pm and Sunday 10am – 2.30pm
Sue Ryder Charity
Click link to view details;
35-37 Ampthill Road
Bedford
MK42 9JP
United Kingdom
Halfords have a recycling facility but not locally;
Kettering – Northfield Avenue
Leicester – St Margaret’s Way
Peterborough – Mallory Rd
Biscuit and nut wrappers can be left in the recycling bin with the Terracycle poster on, at
Westoning Village Hall, 34 Church Road, Westoning, Bedfordshire, MK45 5JL
Harlington Church, Church Road, Harlington, LU5 6LE
(Parking for Harlington Church in layby on the road outside the church.)
Co-Op 'soft plastic recycling'
Barton le Clay 85 Bedford Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK45 4LL England, The Co-Op, Marston Moretaine 1 Station Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK43 0PH.
Recycling for the Co-Op must be clean, dry and scrunched into a ball.
Soft Plastic Recycling - Co-op (coop.co.uk)
Larger Sainsburys stores also take 'soft plastics' like bubble wrap, bags, crisp packets etc
Helping our customers to recycle flexible plastics – Sainsbury's (sainsburys.co.uk)
Sainsburys - Saxon Centre, 252-274 Bedford Rd, Kempston, Bedford MK42 8AY. Car park is beneath the store, enter next to the petrol station on Bunyan Road. Drive down the ramp.
Sainsburys, 34 Dunstable Rd, Luton LU1 1DY
These are plastic carriers mostly used for 6 packs of drinks cans.
These can be put into the 'film and soft plastics recycling at supermarkets like Sainsburys, Tescos, The Co Op and some Waitrose stores.
Car Engine Oil –
Ampthill tidy tip has a dedicated container.
Household Waste Recycling Centres (Tidy tips) | Central Bedfordshire Council
Abbey Ln, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2SA
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Click on link below for more information;
This matches what you want to donate to charity and the Charity that might be able to use it.
It is a matchmaking service, initially for the Thames Valley Region and now opening up to the whole of the Uk.
All brand sof cheese wrappers if washed & clean can be recycled at;
Westoning Village Hall, 34 Church Road, Westoning, MK45 5JL
Or 21
Cantle Ave, Downs Barn, Milton Keynes MK14 7RJ
https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/cheesepackaging-uk
See Westoning Village Hall section at the end of the directory's listings.
Christmas Trees
If your willing to make a small donation to a charity to remove your tree for you then Sue Ryder, St John's Hospice will collect and recycle your tree for you. Areas they collect from are the post codes; MK40, MK41, MK42, MK43, MK44, MK45 and SG18, SG19
Sue Ryder Christmas Treecycling in and around Bedfordshire | Sue Ryder
Real Christmas trees are 100% recyclable and can be turned into compost or wood chippings that can be spread over local parks, gardens or landscaping projects, so residents who choose to Treecycle will not only be supporting Sue Ryder, but will also be helping reduce landfill.
Sue Ryder does not make any money from processing the trees, so your donations help us be there when it matters.
..................................
Flash, Ariel, Fairy, Lenor & Febreze packets-
St Mary's Church, The Green, Marston Moretaine, MK430NF
The Air, Home and Laundry Care Recycling Programme | TerraCycle UK · TerraCycle
The things can be dropped off just inside the church. Opening hours 10am until 3pm daily.
Packets from cleaning products like Vanish, Finish and Dettol can be taken to;
Westoning Village Hall, 34 Church Road, Westoning, MK45 5JL
The RB® Hygiene Home Recycling Programme | TerraCycle UK · TerraCycle
See section 'Westoning Village Hall' at the end of this directory for directions.
Marks and Spencer now offer clothes recycling of any brand clothing, shoes or bedding. Please see link for more details; Plan A Shwopping | M&S (marksandspencer.com)
John Lewis have Fashioncycle. Return old clothes and recieve £5 off a £20 new purchase FashionCycle | John Lewis & Partners
H&M now take any brand clothing in any condition for recycling. You may get a £5 voucher to use in store. Let's close the loop | Repair & recycle | H&M (hm.com)
Local Charity Shops;
* Barnardo’s – China Town Take Away, Rose Walk, Ampthill, Bedfordshire MK45 2EY
*RSPCA - 117 Dunstable St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NG
*Mercy in Action - 113 Dunstable St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NG
*The Willen Hospice Shop, The Market House, 6 Church St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2EH
*Keech Hospice, 1 Cowlgrove Parade, Steppingley Rd, Flitwick, Bedford MK45 1AJ
*Sue Ryder, 35-37 Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9JP
* The British Heart Foundation, 22 Silver Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK, MK40 1SU
*Emmaus Village, Carleton - School Ln, Bedford MK43 7LQ https://emmaus.org.uk/village-carlton/
Photograph from Black Cat Photography (Carl Ryan)
All brands of coffee pouches can be dropped into- St Andrews Church, Rectory Lane, Ampthill, MK45 2EL
There are black bins with the TerraCycle logo on inside the church.
Web link; St.Andrew's Church, Ampthill (standrewsampthill.org)
Terracycle no longer accepts coffee pods so your normal drop off point is probably unable to accept them now because they’ve replaced this with a scheme where you order a bag to be delivered to your home to recycle the pods in. Details of the new bag scheme are here:
https://tassimocontactform-uk-prod.jdecoffee.net
Options for recycling Nespresso capsules; https://www.nespresso.com/uk/en/recycling
These are starting to be recycled. After using them and reusing them at home, you can wash them out and put them in a recycle bin at one of the garden centres.
Blue Diamond are a company recycling these;
Currently the nearest garden center is; Bicester Avenue Garden Centre, Bicester Avenue, Oxford Road, Bicester, OX25 2N
but check the link below before travelling.
Ampthill Tidy tip. Please make sure that you have wiped all personal information off first.
Ampthill Tidy Tip, Abbey Ln, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2SA.
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Dell have a recycling scheme, if you buy a new Dell product they will recycle your old one of any make & model.
Acuvue Brand - their blister packs and foil covers can be given in at -
Ideal Eyewear Ltd, 110 The Hawthorns, Flitwick, MK45 1FN
Corks from wine bottles and champagne can be recycled into cork tiles, cork flooring or cork products or sold for crafts or donated to schools and charities for craft projects.
Currently Waitrose is trialling recycling of natural corks in 7 of their stores nationwide.
Unfortunately they are not currently in the Ampthill or Bedford Stores.
To donate then please see link below for Recorked UK;
If you have corks for recycling simply post them to Recorked UK for recycling. There is not a freepost way of doing this.
The cheapest under 2kg is Royal Mail and then over is Evri or use Parcel Monkey to search a raft of couriers in your area.
The return address is:
Sanjay Aggarwal
Recorked UK
22 Newquay Close
Walsall
West Midlands
WS5 3EP
Pringles tubes can be dropped into- St Andrews Church, Rectory Lane, Ampthill, MK45 2EL
There are black bins with the TerraCycle logo on inside the church. Web link; St.Andrew's Church, Ampthill (standrewsampthill.org)
Waitrose in Ampthill now accept crisp packets in the green recycle drop off bin inside the store.
Westoning Village Hall, Flat empty crisp packets and Pringles tubes are accepted at Westoning.
These can be donated to animal rescue centres.
This month (January 2023) Hula are requesting dog bedding and old duvets. These can be dropped in during opening hours to;
National Animal Welfare Trust Bedfordshire
Glebe Farm,
Salford Road,
Milton Keynes
Bedfordshire
MK17 8HZ
Phone: 01908 584000
Email: beds.reception@nawt.org.uk
Small Electrical items like old electric toothbrushes, kettles, irons, calculators etc. can be left out with your wheelie bin but must be separate from the bin, not inside it. Batteries must be removed.
Fridges and freezers can be collected from your door by the council but there is a charge;
Bulky waste, fridge and freezer collections | Central Bedfordshire Council
Small or large electrical items can be taken to Ampthill Tidy Tip. (Please check the rules if driving a large business van because the tip is only designed for household waste taken in cars.)
There are now recycle points for flip flops and similar footwear. These are in many UK seaside towns.
Check the link below to find a store that has a recycle bin.
UK shops are; Cambridge, Stanstead, Gatwick, Westfield Shopping Centre, Bluewater, London, St Ives and Padstow in Cornwall.
There are several shops in Spain & the Islands near Spain.
Waves also accept old flip flops by post and give you a 10% discount on new ones bought from them. See link below.
Recycle your old flip flops with us! - Waves Flip Flops UK
For £90 you can apply to TerraCycle for a box to post back to them for recycling plastic shoes;
Recycle your plastic shoes - UK (terracycle.com)
Place vegetable and fruit peelings, bones and organic food waste into your small brown food waste bin. Please never put food waste into landfill. (Landfill is your main black wheelie bin).
Food waste in landfill doesn't harmlessly rot away. It creates methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times stronger than carbon dioxide.
For food in edible condition use the Olio app - give away food you can no longer use. For example if you buy cat food and your cat dislikes it! (Or ask if your neighbours want it.)
OLIO – The #1 Free Sharing App (olioex.com)
Food Banks
There is usually a food bank donation trolley at Flitwick Tesco's - this is between the window and till area. Buy packaged non perishable food (tinned food, dry pasta & rice, soap, toilet tissue etc) and these will be taken to the local food bank.
The most eco friendly option is to try to reduce food waste by planning meals and using scraps to make other meals. For example boil up your clean vegetable peelings with some stock (palm oil free) and make a delicious soup.
Please note if the furniture is upholstered it can only be taken with the fire safety label still attached.
Places that take furniture are;
Emmaus Village in School Lane, Carleton near Bedford take clothes, toys, bric a brac and good quality furniture which they collect for free. You need to telephone to book drop off or collection.
https://emmaus.org.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5a_b4s6v8QIVRbTtCh2RWgqJEAAYASAAEgLW3vD_BwE
The British Heart Foundation will also collect good quality furniture, electrical and homeware;
https://www.bhf.org.uk/shop/donating-goods/book-furniture-collection-near-me
Ikea now sell good quality second hand Ikea furniture in their 'buy back' scheme.
Preen Community Interest Company Furniture Bank, 2, Shortmead Industrial, Sun St, Biggleswade SG18 0BP
Preen Community Interest Company | Facebook
Freecycle - advertise furniture and things you no longer want for others to come and collect.
Soft plastics are not easily recycled in the curbside recycling as they are difficult to separate from the other plastic.
Soft plastics are; All plastic bags.
Please do not put biodegradable or compostable bags in this recycling.
Things you can put in 'Soft plastics and Film' are;
Bread bags, Breakfast cereal liners, Shrink wrap & ring joiners from multipacks or cans etc, Frozen food bags, e.g. bags for frozen vegetables, chips, etc, Dry cleaning bags/bags covering new clothing, Magazine and newspaper wrappers, plastic bags for loose fruit and vegetables, Bubble wrap, Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) – resin ID code 4.
All these ‘film’ type plastics can be dropped off at some major supermarkets. See address list below.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE;
Food and drink pouches,
Wrappers from bakeries, e.g. bags with lots of small holes in them,
Film lids from trays and pots, e.g. yoghurt pots.
Please do not put any dirty bags or film, for example containing food,
No crisp packets or , pre-prepared salad bags.
The Co-Op, Marston Moretaine 1 Station Road Bedford Bedfordshire MK43 0PH England
The Co-Op, 85 Bedford Rd, Barton-le-Clay, Bedford MK45 4LL
Sainsburys, Saxon Centre, 252-274 Bedford Rd, Kempston, Bedford MK42 8AY
Sainsburys, 34 Dunstable Rd, Luton LU1 1DY
Tesco, Coniston Rd, Flitwick, Bedford MK45 1LX (Just inside of the main door)
Waitrose in Ampthill now takes Crisp packets, sweet wrappers, plastic film, plastic bags and food pouches
Please do not place light bulbs or drinking glasses in the bottle banks. Only glass with the recycle logo label on.
There are many bottle banks to deposit glass;
Waitrose Supermarket Car Park, Bedford Street, Ampthill, MK45 2LU
Ampthill Household Recycling Centre, Abbey Road, Ampthill, MK45 2SA
Parkside Hall, Woburn Street ,Ampthill, MK45 2HX
Flitwick Tesco, Steppingley Road, Flitwick, MK45 1LX
Flitwick Leisure Centre, Steppingley Road, MK45 1TH
Church End, Eversholt, MK17 9DU
Marston Millenium Park, The Forest Centre, MK43 OPR
The Bell Pub, Westoning, MK45 5JH
The Old Sun Inn, Harlington, LU5 6LS
The Village Hall, 3, Pembroke Road, Houghton Conquest, MK45 3LE
Beverley Court, Clophill, MK45 4AY
Garden Waste – most plant material can be put in your garden waste bin or sacks, but check the Central Bedfordshire Waste Services web pages if you are not sure. Green waste can also be taken to:
Ampthill Tidy Tip, Abbey Ln, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2SA.
However we would encourage you to compost as much as possible at home as this reduces the energy required to transport and process the waste, AND creates lovely compost that you can use to pot up plants and add as a mulch to feed your borders. You can order a compost bin from the council for £22.49 or make your own from old pallets.
If doing household maintenance and decorating you can take the hard core waste to Ampthill Tidy Tip.
Abbey Lane, Ampthill, MK45 2SA
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Hard plastics are things like old washing up bowls, laundry baskets, manual toothbrush handles (brush head bristles must be removed), water butts, plastic garden furniture.
These can be taken to the dedicated container at Ampthill Tidy Tip but please note there is limited capacity and the facility is not always available.
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Junk mail – unwanted flyers and advertisements can be reduced from coming through your letter box in 3 easy steps.
1) Put a sign on your letterbox ‘ No Flyers’
2) Tell Royal Mail. Click on link to find out how to request Royal Mail stop your junk mail.
3) Request other companies stop using your home address;
Light bulbs –
Ampthill Tidy Tip, Abbey Ln, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2SA.
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Leighton Buzzard Household Waste Recycling Centre, Shenley Hill Road, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 3BT
Don't be tempted to recycle your old light bulbs with your glass bottles and jars. They are made from a different type of glass and also contain metal parts.
Make up containers –
Boots the Chemist - What can I bring back to the Recycle at Boots scheme? Return 5 empty containers of any products and receive 500 points for every £10 spend.
LUSH are an ethical company with vegan ingredients. They produce refillable lipsticks and for certain products you can return empty pots and get a face mask free or money off your next pruchase. LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics | Vegetarian & Cruelty Free | LUSH
John Lewis now have ‘beautycycle’. When you buy new products at their beauty counter you return the old containers and receive £5 off your next purchase if you return 5 containers to them. You are required to sign up to it.
https://www.johnlewis.com/our-services/beautycycle?originalSearchTerm=beautycycle
Weleda and Deciem accept their own product containers back for recycling free of charge but sadly there are no drop off points nearby. (Although if you buy from a rep you can usually return the containers to them.)
Most make up sprays and labels can be taken at ; 20 Hunter Close, Shortstown, MK42 0FN.
Maybeline make up products; Boots, Interchange Retail Park, Interchange Retail Park, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK42 7AZ
Clarins - just take your old make up to your nearest TerraCycle registered Clarins counter and they will recycle the old containers;
The Clarins Recycling Programme · TerraCycle
These are; Boots the chemist in Milton Keynes, 18 Crown Walk, MK9 3AH or Woburn Sands, 69 The High Street, MK17 8QY, House of Fraser, Milton Keynes.
Medication blister packs for recycling.
Superdrug The Chemist will take these.
Bedford- Superdrug, 13-15 All Hallows, Bedford, MK40 1LN
Please put packs into a plastic bag and drop into their dedicated box inside the store.
Metal items – Ampthill Tidy Tip, Abbey Ln, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2SA
Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.
Mobile phones-
Household Waste Recycling Centre, Progress Way, off Toddington Road, Luton, Sundon, LU4 9TR
Kingston Park, Tesco, 1 Winchester Circle, Kingston, Milton Keynes, MK10 0AH
Currys, UNIT 3 ST Johns, Rope Walk, Bedford, MK42 0XE
O2, 96 Arndale Centre, Luton, LU1 2TQ
Please ensure all personal data is removed before disposal.
Nappies – sadly disposable nappies cannot be recycled. Consider cloth napkins as a money saving alternative. There is a nappy Library if you are interested. See link below.
Disposable nappies can only be placed in your general waste bin.
The cloth napkin service below is excellent. It costs nothing to try and there is free advice and support. The Library is excellent.
https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/2/waste_and_recycling/609/real_nappy_cashback/4
If you are on Facebook and have just moved house or are about to move house, there is a page that connects people so they can share and reuse boxes and packaging;
Pens and Bic writing products
All pens & highlighters; Rymans stationers, 64 High St, Bedford MK40 1NT – Dedicated box in store
Maulden Lower School, Church Rd, Maulden, Bedfordshire MK45 2AU takes pens for recycling
Phillips Dental Care Products
Sadly from the 17th February 2025 this is closing at all sites and no longer available.
Sadly this can be recycled but there is very limited availability to do this and nothing in Bedfordshire. It can be repurposed for things like breaking it up into the base of plant pots or tubs to aid drainage or used to stuff soft toys or bean bags. (Repurpose & Reuse)
Pets at Home now offer to recycle pet food pouches.
https://www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/promotions/recycle
'You can bring back any pet food pouch that’s made from a flexible plastic. If it’s a flexible plastic and can be bent, squeezed or scrunched – we can accept it. Just give it a quick clean at home to remove any remaining food. All brands are accepted.'
*Taken from The Pets At Home Web Site.
Pet food pouches (wet food) are no longer accepted at TerraCyle drop off points.
Depending on the type of soft plastic, some pet food pouches can be dropped of at Supermakets such as The Co-Op, Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose.
Recycling your poppy
This year once again you can make your donation go further by recycling your poppy in all of our stores, after Remembrance Sunday. Use the recycling boxes on our customer service desks from 13 – 30 November 2017 and The Royal British Legion will re-use or recycle your poppy.
PolyVinyl Chloride
Old inflatables like paddling pools, toys like Flamingos and rubber rings can be posted to;
Wyatt and Jack
They will make them into trendy hand bags.
Printer Cartridges can be dropped at;
* Tesco Flitwick now has a drop off near the tils.
*Tesco Extra, Kingston, Milton Keynes or Tesco, Cardington Road Bedford also recycle cartridges.
*You can send off in an envelope to https://www.recycle4charity.co.uk/Home.aspx
*Maulden Lower School, Church Rd, Maulden, Bedfordshire MK45 2AU
* Rymans Stationary Shop in Bedford , 64 High St, Bedford MK40 1NT
(They even take laser printer cartridges) Hand them in at the counter.
Laser printer cartridges; https://info.banneruk.com/respectful-recycling
Razor heads (any brand) -
get your free envelope to post old razors and razer blades off at
https://www.gillette.co.uk/recycle.list
Apply online and Gillette send you a free envelope. Juts place your old razors in here and post back for recycling.
(Updated 05/09/2022)
Post in ANY Royal Mail Red Post Box with your letters.
Royal Mail have confirmed they will reuse these.
SHOES;
Marks and Spencer now offer a shoe recycle. Return 5 pairs and get £5 off of a £25 spend on new shoes in store.
Maulden Lower School currently accepts good quality shoes for recycling; Church Rd, Maulden, Bedfordshire MK45 2AU
Good quality shoes can be donated to a local charity shop.
Local Charity Shops;
Barnardo’s – China Town Take Away, Rose Walk, Ampthill, Bedfordshire MK45 2EY
RSPCA - 117 Dunstable St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NG
Mercy in Action - 113 Dunstable St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2NG
The Willen Hospice Shop, The Market House, 6 Church St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2EH
Keech Hospice, 1 Cowlgrove Parade, Steppingley Rd, Flitwick, Bedford MK45 1AJ
Sue Ryder, 35-37 Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9JP
The British Heart Foundation, 22 Silver Street, Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK, MK40 1SU
Emmaus Village, Carleton - School Ln, Bedford MK43 7LQ https://emmaus.org.uk/village-carlton/
Spectacles/ Glasses –
Alders Opticians, 17 Bedford St, Ampthill, Bedford MK45 2LU collect spectacles and cases, These go to Leighton Buzzard Rotary club and are sent abroad to be reused.
Punch Opticians, 18 High St, Toddington, Dunstable LU5 6BY
Punch Opticians – Eyeware and Eyecare for all the family
Lots of parking spaces available outside of shop.
To recycle stamps there are a few options;
Sign up and send through the post to Sight Savers;
Note; If Collectable stamps then they can be donated to Oxfam in St Peter’s Square, Bedford for resale to specialist collectors.
OR post any stamps (Used standard/ normal stamps OR collectable stamps) to;
Willen Hospice, The Well, Newport Road, Willen, Milton Keynes, MK15 9AA
These can be sold worldwide on the Willen Hospice Ebay shop.
Maulden lower school also takes Stamps for recycling; (Donated to guide dogs for the blind)
Church Rd, Maulden, Bedfordshire MK45 2AU
TWAM is a charity that collects unwanted tools, refurbishes them and sends them to the developing world for livelihood creation;
Donate Tools | Tools with a Mission (twam.uk)
If you would like to donate your tools, please read the Tools Wanted List at the bottom of this page before contacting a local volunteer collector. If you are still unsure, please call us on 01473 210220 or email post@twam.uk
Agricultural tools: Fork, spade, hoe, garden rake, hand fork and trowel, lopper, secateurs and hand shears
Builders’ tools: Spade, shovel, 3ft spirit level, axe, crowbar, fork, sledgehammer, bow saw, bolsters, chisels, all types of hammers and trowels, pin and lines, tape measures, hacksaws and Stanley and hacksaw blades
Carpenters’ tools: Bevel, braces, clamps, hand drills and bits, all types of files and hammers, Stanley knife, all types of planes and saws, pliers, rules, all types of saws and screwdrivers, squares plus screws, nails and bolts
Electricians’ tools: Allen keys, hand drills and bits, all types of pliers and hacksaws, screwdrivers, spanners, soldering iron, voltmeter
Motor mechanics’ tools: Allen keys, cold chisels, breast drill and bits, all types of hammers and pliers, punches, metric socket sets, spanners, adjustable spanners, cantilever toolboxes, tyre pressure gauge
Plumbers’ tools: Basin or tap wrench, wire brush, breast drill and bits, various grips and saws, screwdriver, oil can etc
Garage workshop: Hydraulic jack, axle stands, battery charger, ramps and large engineers vice
Power tools: Hand and bench drills, sander, planer, jigsaw, circular, band and chop saws, lathe, cultivator, rotavator, welding machine and generator
Sewing machines: manual, electric, treadle and industrial
Knitting machines: machine and hand wool, needles and patterns
Haberdashery: needles, cottons, large material pieces/rolls, buttons, zips, tapes
Fully working IT equipment: Desktop computers and laptops running a minimum of Microsoft Windows 7, tablets, networking switch routers and cables
‘Aqua Optima’ brand can be recycled in Wrest Park in Silsoe, Bedfordshire MK45 4HR
Other brands; Tesco, 125 Cardington Road, Bedford, MK42 0BG, Beds,
Argos at Bedford (Kempston) Retail Park. Unit K, Interchange Retail Park, Race Meadows Way, Kempston, Bedford MK42 7AZ
Refill your dry foods and home detergents instead of buying more plastic.
The refill shop in Bedford is 'The Store' and has a large range of refils, 26 St Cuthbert's St, Bedford MK40 3JG
Weigh your empty container first, print a label of it's weight. Then fill it up with what you want, scan the weight label and then reweigh the container when full (to remove the weight of the container) print final label. The new label will display the cost.
Take to the till & pay. Easy!
Able & Cole are a B certified delivery supermarket. They currently deliver to Flitwick and Ampthill on a Friday. They supply local organic seasonal fruit and vegetables as well as eco friendly household goods. Delivery is £1.99
This is more expensive than a regular supermarket but all their produce as fair trade and ethical.
Organic food delivery. Organic vegetable boxes, fruit, meat & more | Abel & Cole (abelandcole.co.uk)
What Can You leave?
Crips packets, Pringles tubes, biscuit, cake bar and nut wrappers, Babybell & all brands of cheese wrappers, 6 pack plastic can carrier rings, dishwasher packets, cleaning and fragrance flexible packaging and clean bread bags. Ferrero Roche boxes, trays and inserts, plastic coffee pouches (bags).
Where to leave the things? If travelling by car then park in the car park around the back.
Pictured below;
Tyburn Lane MK45 5JX / MK45 5JU
Then walk around to the front of the hall.
The bins are to the left of the main doors.
To find the Village Hall when travelling from Flitwick towards Westoning there is a small mini round about between Flitvale Garden Centre and The Bell Pub.
Turn right at this round about and travel into Westoning housing estate and follow the road round.
Click on link to web site
Waste and recycling | Central Bedfordshire Council
Tidy tip will be Closed from 14th June to 5th July 2023.for refurbishment.
There are alternative tidy tips in Leighton Buzzard, Biggleswade and Bedford open during this time.
The Tidy tip will take;
Batteries
Carpets (not carpet tiles)
Electricals - small and large white goods
Hard Plastics - please note this service is not always available
Gas cylinders - helium, BBQ etc
Glass - all bottles & jars
Garden Waste
Hardcore & rubble
Light bulbs
Metal
Paint - gloss & matt but please do not mix
Textiles - clean clothes and shoes in good condition can be left in the charity containers
Timber
Tyres
Wrapping and cards;
If there is no foil or glitter on the cards or wrapping then they can usually be out into kerbside recycling / orange bags. If you are unsure of the wrapping paper - do the scrunch test. If it stays scrunched then it is probably paper and be recycled.
Please remove all sellotape.
Plastic packaging
Soft plastics like bags or film can be recycled at stores such as Tesco, Sainsburys or Waitrose. There is a dedicated labelled bin in each store.
Decorations;
- Broken glass baubles and tinsel can not be recycled at this time. Place in black bin for landfill.
- Good quality decorations and plastic trees can be taken to a local charity shop for resale.
- Natural Wreaths providing there is no glue can be put into green garden waste bins.
- Fairy lights can be left in the Electricals section of the Ampthill Tidy Tip / Recycling Centre.
Sadly Charity Recycling MK at Downs Barn has announced that they are now unable to continue. This is no longer available.
They have been going for over 12 years now and have raised more than £71,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, Willen Hospice and MK Cat Rescue in that time, all from rubbish that would have otherwise been binned.
Great Work.
Pringles tubes can be recycled at;
Westoning Villiage Hall, 34 Church Road, MK45 5JL, UK
St Andrews Church, Ampthill, Rectory Lane, Ampthill, MK45 2EN
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