April 2024 news

View our news items from April 2024.

Waste less with West Sussex recycles

Reduce, reuse, recycle - you’ve heard it all before but what does it actually mean and how can you do your bit to reduce the waste you produce in West Sussex?

Sometimes we focus more on recycling and reducing waste and reusing items can take a back seat. Here in West Sussex, we want to encourage residents to move their waste up the waste hierarchy and prioritise reuse and waste prevention/reduction.

Waste prevention focuses on reducing the amount of waste that you generate at source and means using less material overall. See below for more information on how to reduce your waste at home.

  • Food - 40% of an average rubbish bin in West Sussex is food waste and 27.7% is edible food, which includes food still in the packaging, leftovers, and cooked food that didn't get eaten. When food is thrown away it is not just the food that is wasted, it is also the resources that go into producing it. We have loads of tips on how to reduce your food waste on our Fight Against Food Waste web page.
  • Repair - When an item breaks it can be tempting to throw it away and buy a new one as opposed to mending and fixing. Mending a hole in your favourite jumper or fixing a broken item can save you money and reduce your waste, helping to counteract a throwaway culture. Did you know West Sussex has various free repair cafés all run by volunteers? Find their locations.
  • Reuse - Investing in reusable materials is another way to reduce your waste and can even help you save money in the long run. The average West Sussex household threw away 26kg of disposable plastic bottles in 2021! Making easy switches such as using a reusable water bottle or reusable shopping bag can make a big difference.

You can watch our videos and find out how to reduce your waste on our Think Before You Throw web page.

Spring/summer opening hours return to West Sussex Recycling Centres

From 1 April 2024, Recycling Centres across West Sussex switched to their extended spring/summer opening hours. As many of us set to work tidying our gardens or clearing out our homes, Recycling Centres are often very busy over the summer period. Extending the hours will help cope with the extra demand.

Don't forget, to visit any of the Recycling Centres you will need to book an appointment online. Bookings can be made on the day or up to two weeks in advance and are for 15 or 30 minutes depending on the centre.

The booking system enables centre staff more time to offer recycling advice and assist visitors in disposing of items in the correct containers, diverting more materials to recycling. For more information on how to book.

Reusable nappy week 2024

Monday 22 April marks the start of reusable nappy week and we are encouraging residents to use reusable nappies when they can. Using reusable nappies doesn’t have to mean going full-time to make a difference. Every day you choose to reuse, you will reduce waste and avoid consumption of single-use plastic equivalent to at least 17 plastic bags a day.

Reusable nappies have evolved a lot. Modern designs make using, washing and drying simple and easy. Families can also make a financial saving of up to £1,000 over 2.5 years if they switch!

Find out more about the different types of reusable nappies and how to use them.

Community Food Hubs

We host seven Community Food Hubs, in collaboration with UKHarvest, once a month in each district and borough across West Sussex.

Community Food Hubs are designed to reduce surplus food from suppliers that would have otherwise gone to waste. All residents are welcome to visit the child-friendly food hubs and fill up a bag with delicious, rescued food.

Hubs also offer recipes, food prevention hints and tips and host information stands on various subjects including waste prevention, well-being and citizens advice.

For a full list of our hubs visit our website.

Upcoming waste prevention events

Throughout West Sussex, we're proud to be working alongside a team of passionate recycling and waste prevention volunteers and advisers. They attend public and private events to promote waste prevention, reuse and recycling, and are keen to answer questions on the county's recycling provision and waste prevention.

Alongside the below public events, we are attending numerous privately hosted talks and events for local community groups, schools and other organisations. If you would like our team to attend an event, or for more information on the above please email waste.prevention@westsussex.gov.uk.

April/May events

  • Saturday 6 April 2024 (10.00am to 5.00pm) - Think Before You Throw at Get Thrifty, Weald and Downland Museum, Chichester
  • Sunday 7 April 2024 (10.00am to 5.00pm) - Think Before You Throw at Get Thrifty, Weald and Downland Museum, Chichester
  • Wednesday 10 April 2024 (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at Southwick Food Hub - Southwick Community Centre, Southwick
  • Thursday 11 April 2024 (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at Petworth Food Hub - Sylvia Beaufoy Centre, Petworth
  • Wednesday 17 April 2024 (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at Broadfield Food Hub - Broadfield community centre, Crawley
  • Saturday 20 April 2024 (12 noon to 4.00pm) - Information stand at St Georges Day Event - Queens Square, Crawley
  • Wednesday 24 April 2024 (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at Storrington Food Hub - Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, Storrington
  • Thursday 25 April 2024 (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at Worthing's Food Hub - Sidney Walter Centre, Worthing
  • Saturday 27 April 2024 (10.00am to 2.00pm) - Think Before You Throw stand at Midhurst Rother College Community Day
  • Saturday 11 May 2024 (12 noon to 5.00pm) - Oving Scarecrow Day, Oving
  • Saturday 18 May 2024 (11.00am to 4.00pm) - Waste prevention stand at STEM in the park - Crawley Memorial Gardens. Learn what happens to your recycling
  • Saturday 25 May 2024 (10.00am to 5.00pm) - Waste prevention stand and activities at Reclaim festival, Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea
  • Sunday 26 May 2024 (10.00am to 5.00pm) - Waste prevention stand and activities at Reclaim festival, Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea
  • Monday 27 May 2024 (10.00am to 5.00pm) - Waste prevention stand and activities at Reclaim festival, Coronation Green, Shoreham-by-Sea.