Don’t get too excited but here is an update about what you can recycle as a few more items have been added!
Hooray for pots, tubs and trays
As of Wednesday 1 April, we’ll be able to accept your household pots, tubs and trays in your regular household recycling collections across West Sussex.
It’s not an April fool – we want your plastic containers. You’ll be able to recycle things like yoghurt pots, ice cream tubs, fruit and vegetable punnets and ready meal trays, as well as your plastic bottles – all we ask is that they are clean, dry and loose!
Why should I recycle my plastic containers?
Recycling plastics saves a valuable resource from just being thrown away.
Plastic packaging makes up 11% of household waste – that’s a lot of plastic which could be recycled. We anticipate that recycling household pots, tubs and trays could see more than 4,000 tonnes added to the county’s recycling rate every year!
Recycled plastic can be transformed into lots of different things – including clothes, toys, kitchen utensils, pens and even garden furniture!
What can I recycle?
From the start of April, plastics that can be accepted in your recycling are:
- Milk and drinks bottles;
- Bathroom bottles;
- Laundry/detergent bottles & tubs;
- Yoghurt, cream & soup pots;
- Ice cream & margarine tubs;
- Cosmetic pots & tubs;
- Food & ready meal trays;
- Fruit & vegetable punnets; and
- Plastic container lids (such as those used on coffee jars).
But there are still a few plastic items we can’t accept in your household recycling. These include:
- Plastic carrier bags & plastic film;
- Expanded polystyrene;
- Plant pots & seed trays;
- Plastic toys; and
- Plastic furniture.
It’s really important to make sure all items placed in your recycling bin are:
Clean – free from food and liquid leftovers. Items that have food on them can ruin the quality of the other recycling in your bin, which can go on to spoil the items collected in recycling lorries. It could mean the bin or even a whole truckload can no longer be recycled meaning all of your hard work will literally go to waste!
Dry – moisture can cause items to stick together, especially if your paper or cardboard items get wet. This means they cannot be recycled and they may clog the sorting machinery.
Loose – the high-tech sorting plant can’t separate your recycling if it is placed within cardboard boxes or tied up in plastic bags.
To find out more about recycling in West Sussex, including what can be collected in your household collection, please visit www.recycleforwestsussex.org
