Think before you throw
According to our recent countywide resident survey, 60% of respondents want to know more about what can be recycled at home, and we're here to help.
We are working with the West Sussex Waste Partnership to answer your most frequently asked questions, show you what happens to your recycling and waste, and explain why it is so important to put the right thing in the right bin.
Together, we are asking you to ‘Think Before You Throw’ and recycle as much as you can.
What happens to recycling and waste in West Sussex?
Recyclable material collected from your household bins across West Sussex is taken by collection vehicle to a transfer station, or direct to the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) in Ford. Materials from the transfer stations, located across the county, are combined together and moved in large lorries by our partner Biffa, and taken to the MRF for processing.
The MRF processes the recycling and separates it out into different material types, using automated machinery. This is why we ask that all materials are loose within your bin, as the machine cannot sort anything that is tied up in a bag. Find out more about the MRF.
In March 2022, the county council made the decision to convert its Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) facility, in Warnham, where general waste is processed, to process food waste separately from other materials.
This decision aims to meet new simpler recycling requirements efficiently and reduce contract costs. The anaerobic digestion process will be updated to handle source-separated food waste and will be ready by March 2026.
The MBT process will be simplified to a mechanical pre-treatment process, which will lower energy use, maintenance and lifecycle costs. Refused Derived Fuel (RDF) will continue to be produced, both loose and baled, until early 2027, when the new neighbouring Energy from Waste (EfW) facility is ready to accept the material.
These changes are being made to comply with new regulations, improve efficiency and reduce costs associated with waste processing and energy use.
Material from the Recycling Centres is taken to the MRF or MBT, or sent directly to reprocessors, such as the wood that is collected on site, the garden waste, and the paper and card that is collected separately.
What to recycle and where
Here in West Sussex we have a recycling system that you can be proud to be a part of.
Everyone in West Sussex can recycle the same list of core materials at home:
- plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays
- glass bottles and jars
- paper and card
- tins, cans and foil
- cartons.
View our videos below.
There is a full A-Z of materials that you can search, and if you live in Chichester District, Arun District, Adur and Worthing, or Horsham District, you can also download an app below that has a fully searchable option.
- Adur and Worthing Councils services mobile app
- Arun District Council mobile app
- Chichester District Council mobile app
- Horsham District Council mobile app
You can also visit one of our Recycling Centres to recycle even more materials.
Some District and Borough Councils offer additional kerbside collections for materials such as small electricals, textiles or batteries. Find out more by visiting our household collections page.
Reducing waste
Last year we reused or recycled over 200,000 tonnes of waste in West Sussex but there is still a lot of material going into the general waste bins that could be reduced, reused or recycled.
Up to 59% of the contents of the average waste bin in West Sussex doesn't need to be there.
Find out more about reducing your waste.
Our Recycling Centres also offer various services to help residents reuse as much as possible. Visit out Recycling Centre reuse page for more information.
For more information on how you can reduce waste and recycle right, watch our full video series on our YouTube channel.