West Sussex is now one of the first councils in the UK to allow residents to recycle flexible toothpaste tubes from home. Simply squeeze out the contents, replace the cap and place the tube in your recycling bin.
To raise awareness, the council teamed up with Recycle Now’s character “Minty the Toothpaste Tube”, who visited schools to inspire young recyclers.
Across West Sussex, Minty made special appearances at various events, surprising primary school students and spreading the message about what can be recycled at home in West Sussex.
Minty the Toothpaste Tube recently attended the 33rd Junior Citizen event in Crawley to promote recycling to year six students. Minty also joined WSCC Cllr Deborah Urquhart, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, at Kingsham Primary School, Chichester to celebrate their win in the 2024–25 Wastebuster “Recycle It Right” Challenge.
In addition to being able to recycle squeezy toothpaste tubes, thanks to a partnership with Podback, residents can now also recycle aluminium and plastic coffee pods from brands like Nespresso, NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto, and Tassimo at any of the county’s 11 Recycling Centres.
Each West Sussex Recycling Centre now has two dedicated containers for coffee pod recycling, one for aluminium and one for plastic. Residents should drain any leftover liquid before visiting and place pods loose into the correct bin. No Podback bags are required.
Cllr Deborah Urquhart, West Sussex County Council Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:
“Recycling as much as possible reduces waste, saves energy and helps combat climate change. It’s a key part of our environmental strategy under the Council Plan and supports our KPI of 53% of household waste being recycled. We are always looking for ways to increase recycling opportunities and I am really pleased that we are now able to support our residents in removing these everyday items from going to waste.”
Appointments to visit a Recycling Centre can be made for the same day, where available, or up to 14 days in advance. Booking a slot is quick and easy through the Book to Recycle website at www.westsussex.gov.uk/BookToRecycle or by calling 01243 642106.
To learn more about what can be recycled in West Sussex, visit: www.westsussex.gov.uk/recycling
More information on Podback can be found on their website.
