Kirsty Warren
Recycle this…

Recycling in west sussex

Food waste

Food waste collections

In West Sussex, food waste makes up a staggering 40% of the average household general black top waste bin. So, it makes sense to collect this waste separately as it is then easier to recycle.

The Government announced on 25th March 2024 that funding is available to local councils to fund the collection of food waste.
The good news is that Mid Sussex District Council will receive a grant of £1,041,808 following a successful application for funds. Councils in England will be supported with up to £295 million in funding to introduce weekly food waste collections by 31st March 2026, providing new food waste containers for homes and specialist collection vehicles.

Collections of food waste from every household will prevent contamination of other waste which could then be usefully recycled

Composting

Of course, you can compost lots of your food waste at home. You can use a plastic compost bin bought from WSCC. Here – www.bit.ly/4abK98s – you will also find lots of useful information on composting. You also can buy one from garden centres, or make one from timber.

Success with a compost heap does require a little simple planning. A good procedure is to keep food scraps consisting of vegetables, tea bags, and fruit and transfer them every couple of days to your garden compost bin. You then add grass cuttings in roughly equal portions and that is it.

By not adding meat or fish it does not attract rats.

This simple mixture breaks down quickly and so twice a year, you can empty the compost bin to use the contents as compost for the garden.

So, whilst we are awaiting the start of food waste collection by MSDC, you could try a compost heap for your own compost. If it works out well for you, then you can use the MSDC collection for meat and fish and any excess food waste, when the collection commences.

Light bulbs and florescent lamps

What we call a light bulb, is referred to as a lamp by the lighting industry. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are low energy light bulbs. Compact LED bulbs can look very similar to CFLs, this means you can change to LEDs without having to change your light fittings. CFL’s use up to 80% less energy than old fashioned incandescent bulbs, but to do this, they need a small amount of mercury which is why they can’t be thrown away in your Kerbside bins.

The typical amount of mercury in a lamp is between 1.2 to 4mg, and in a domestic compact florescent lamp (CFL) this equates to the tip of a ballpoint pen. The mercury in one CFL is not enough to pose a health risk but they do need to be disposed of responsibly to reduce the risk of large quantities of mercury ending up in landfill.

In the UK, the collection and recycling of fluorescent lamps is compulsory under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. If we all recycle, we can protect our environment, and the mercury, glass and metal can be reused. If you want to know how, have a look at: www.recolight.co.uk How can we recycle? Save up your light bulbs and tubes and take them with you next time you are making a journey to your council recycling centre (AKA The Tip!).

Some electrical retailers offer a recycling service. Robert Dyas is one, but I am sure there are others. When you buy your next light bulb do ask if they offer a recycling scheme.

Soft plastic bags and packets

You can now recycle a lot more soft plastics than crisp packets and stretchy plastic at many supermarket stores (www.shorturl.at/cekFR).

Soft plastics are lightweight plastics that cannot be placed in recycling bins at home. Think plastic film lids on yoghurt pots, soft fruit punnets and ready meals, as well as plastic crisp packets, pasta bags and chocolate or biscuit wrappers.

All major supermarkets are offering this service: Co-op, Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons and Sainsburys. When you get into the swing of it, you will be taking a carrier bag full of recycling to the supermarket every time you visit!

Additional: Please bear in mind supermarkets do move around their recycling bins, so if you cannot find it do ask in store, and your local store may be different.
Waitrose – At the far end of the store after the checkouts by the café.
Robert Dyas – offers battery recycling by the entrance door.
Boots – On the right as you step inside.
Marks and Spencer – Behind the checkout desks.

WSCC recycling your ‘hard’ plastic (bottles, tubs and trays etc) and the supermarkets accepting your ‘soft’ plastic (bags, packets). All the plastic packaging you get from Supermarkets can now be recycled!

But what happens to it? Soft plastic can now be recycled via physical recycling which turns it into other items such as heavy-duty outdoor plastic furniture and roads; and chemical recycling, which turns it back into oil, that can be used for making new plastic resins for fuel and other purposes. Please also support your local Terracycle collection teams. www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades will show you where and what you can recycle, for the benefit of a local charity or school. The Stand Up Inn and Lindfield Primary Academy are prime examples in Lindfield.

Supermarket-recycle-plastic-bags.jpg

The cereal manufacturers are changing their packaging so the good news is that some liners can be recycled with carrier bags at larger stores.
You will need to look at the cardboard outer, and the recycling instructions on the cardboard outer of individual packets. Some manufacturers, and these include Kelloggs, Nestle and Sainsburys’ own brand are changing the composition of the liner to a recyclable plastic and the instructions on the box have been changed to reflect this, and now tell you that the inner liner can now be ‘recycle with carrier bags at larger stores’. What this means is that these inner wrappers can now be put into the plastic bag recycling bins at most large supermarket stores.

Please make sure these are all empty and clean so they can be recycled! So now you recycle your soft plastic, that cannot be recycled by WSCC, at your supermarket.

Wrapping paper, glitter and seasonal

Wrapping paper – do the scrunch test – if it stays scrunched it can be recycled in your kerbside bin.


If it springs open it contains plastic and can be recycled at major supermarkets in their plastic bag recycling bins.

Always remove large bows and as much Sellotape as possible.

Had a real Christmas tree? www.midsussex.gov.uk/tree-recycling

Artificial trees – Take to the tip. Normal ones in the waste container bay please, fibre optic ones in the electricals container bay. Broken toys – if they cannot be fixed by yourself – or at a Repair Café – take to the tip.

In your blue top recycling bin:

  • Celebratory sweet and chocolate tins and tubes – metal, cardboard or paper can all be recycled in your recycling bin

  • Glass bottles, beer, wine and champagne. Without the tops please. Metal tops can go in the recycle bin separately. (Plastic tops and corks in the black top rubbish bin)

  • Mince pie plastic trays and the foil trays

  • Black plastic food trays can be recycled in West Sussex

Disposable plastic plates and cutlery – try to avoid as they will have to go in your black top rubbish bin.

Things to take to the tip:

  • Broken crockery or cups – it happens at parties!

  • Tinsel and baubles

  • Christmas fairy lights – these are classed as WEEE (Waste Electrical items)

Remember you will need to show you are a resident of West Sussex to use the Tip. Don’t forget your ID.

Please do not place batteries in your general rubbish bin or your recycling bin. Please recycle them at shops that sell batteries. All shops that sell batteries have to provide, by law, battery recycling points, and these are generally found near the checkout.

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