October 2023 news

View our news items from October 2023.

Are you recycling all you can?

One third of us miss chances to recycle at home! Based on a recent survey, we found that common household items are not being recycled at home across West Sussex. Items such as clean black plastics pots, tubs and trays, plastic bottles with their tops on and takeaway coffee cups are being missed despite being recyclable.

This month, Recycle Week (16-22 October) focuses on capturing commonly missed items of recycling across the country. We will be supporting Recycle Week across our social media channels by reminding residents of all the items that can recycled at home in West Sussex. Keep an eye on our pages to make sure you’re recycling all you can.

Alongside Recycle Week this month, we launched four new videos as part of our 'Think Before You Throw' campaign. These videos focus on each of the four main material's that are recyclable at home across West Sussex - highlighting how these materials are processed at the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Ford and where they get sent to for recycling.

Watch our new videos online, or if you want to see the MRF in action you can book a visit.

Autumn/Winter opening hours return to recycling centres

From the 1 October 2023, Autumn/Winter opening hours returned to all 11 recycling centres in West Sussex.

The opening times for all recycling centres are 9.00am to 4.00pm until 31 March 2024.

Site opening days will also revert to the Autumn/Winter opening schedule with the following exceptions:

  • Billingshurst and Bognor Regis closed on Thursdays and Fridays
  • Chichester closed on Tuesdays
  • Horsham, East Grinstead, Littlehampton and Midhurst closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
  • Shoreham closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
  • Burgess Hill, Crawley and Worthing closed on Thursdays.

Remember that online pre-booking is in place for recycling centres in Bognor Regis, Crawley, Horsham, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-Sea and Worthing.

You can find more information on our recycling centres page.

Reduce your waste this spooky season

Every year, millions of pumpkins are wasted, but pumpkins aren’t just for carving! Pumpkins are tasty and super nutritious.

This year we're encouraging our residents to think about some of the recipes they can make using their pumpkins. Help us in our Fight Against Food Waste and get inspired. Why not check out this list of top pumpkin recipes from BBC Good Food.

Another way you can reduce your waste this Halloween is to think about buying your costume second-hand or make one using material you already have at home. You could even sell last year's costume second-hand using sites like Vinted, Facebook Marketplace or swap with a friend.

You could also save up your soft plastic chocolate and sweet wrappers and take them to your local supermarket for recycling.

Cooking demonstrations in collaboration with UKHarvest

Over the coming months, why not join us and UKHarvest for a FREE cooking demonstration where you will learn some easy, low cost and tasty recipes you can create using an air fryer, slow cooker and microwave.

Everyone who attends will have the option of being entered into our free raffle with an air fryer and a slow cooker up for grabs. Cooking demonstrations will run alongside our Community Food Hubs:

  • Bognor Youth and Community Centre - 1 November (10.30am to 11.30am)
  • Worthing's Sidney Walter Centre - 23 November (10.30am to 11.30am)
  • Petworth's Sylvia Beaufoy Centre- 7 December (10.30am to 11.30am)
  • Haywards Heath's Ashenground Community Centre – 12 January 2024 (10.30am to 11.30am)

For more information visit our UKHarvest food waste minimisation project page.

Upcoming waste prevention events and team update

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

This month, we would like to say a massive congratulations to our Advanced Waste Prevention Advisor volunteer Colin McFarlin who has recently won Lindfield Parish Council's Climate Change Award.

We are currently on the lookout for more dedicated waste prevention volunteers like Colin. For more information and to apply, visit our waste prevention volunteer page.