Release date: 26 January 2026
West Sussex County Council, in partnership with Biffa and ten community organisations, is celebrating the results achieved so far through its Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund. Launched in May 2025, the grant awarded up to £5,000 to each organisation to run projects aimed at reducing household waste at a local level.
In the first 6 months of the programme, the successful projects collectively diverted over 60 tonnes of waste – roughly equivalent to the weight of 10 male elephants. They engaged more than 31,000 residents through workshops, repair cafés, composting schemes, school uniform swaps, refill initiatives and much more.
Cllr Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, said: “Protecting the environment is central to our Council Plan. Our supporting waste prevention initiatives within the local community is a way to achieve this that benefits everyone.
“From repairing bikes and textiles to redistributing donated items and supporting residents in need, these projects are already making a real difference.”
Mike Thair, Director of Treatment at Biffa, added: “Behind every tonne saved is a neighbour fixing a bike or a family choosing to refill. These projects show how small actions add up. We’re proud to support communities across West Sussex as they repair, reuse and reduce waste. It is what great partnership looks like — the West Sussex County Council, Biffa and community groups working together to prevent waste at source.”
Focusing on practical initiatives, the ten groups’ projects focus on reusing, repairing and waste prevention. They target a range of household items, including food, textiles, electrical items, bikes and general waste.
The projects receiving funding are:
- Pre-Loved Hub (Estcots Parents & Friends Association): Reselling and upcycling school uniforms to reduce textile waste.
- Bognor Regis Repair Café: Helping residents repair household items instead of discarding them.
- Wheels of Change (Chichester Bike Project): Training vulnerable residents in bike maintenance and providing refurbished bikes.
- Compost Selsey: Turning food waste into compost which is used in The Hidden Garden to grow plants, fruit and vegetables.
- Crisis Response Furniture Aid (Grandad’s Front Room): Supplying essential items to residents in urgent need.
- Return and Refill (Sussex Green Living): Launching a dry food refill service to cut packaging and food waste.
- Stitch Fixers (West Sussex WI): Teaching repair skills to prevent textiles from going to waste.
- Waste Prevention Project (Barnham and Eastergate Community Trust): Reducing food waste through food education workshops and organising community clothing and toy swap events.
- Sew Resourceful (Resourceful Community Scrapstore): Sewing and repair sessions that teach mending and upcycling to transform textiles into reusable items.
- Think Green - Waste Management Awareness (Tamil Learning Centre): Distributing bilingual resources that explain recycling, donation, redistribution and repurposing to Tamil and South Indian communities.
Find out more:
Project updates and further information are available at: Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund - West Sussex County Council
