Welcome to Recycling In Sussex

In East Sussex, items placed in your kerbside recycling bin are sent to different places for processing and turned into different items: 

Cardboard and paper -> Packaging materials and new paper products
Plastic bottles -> Turned into a raw material which is then made into food packaging
Glass and light bulbs -> Turned into different glass bottles and jars. Fluorescent tubes and low-energy bulbs are transported to Surrey where they are crushed and the materials in them separated (glass, aluminium and phosphor powder). Glass and aluminium are made into new products and the powder is reused.
Metals and electricals ->  made into new products. Aluminium cans are sent to Wales or Cheshire. There, they are melted down and made into new aluminium products. Steel cans are sent to UK plants and end up as new cans or other steel products (like white goods and bicycles)

Electricals (including TVs, monitors and fridge/freezers) are dismantled in Lewes. Their harmful gases are removed and the metal and plastic are recycled.

The waste you put in your garden waste bin  is processed at Whitesmith in East Sussex and used to build tall rows of shredded waste (windrows). These then turn into compost which is screened, sieved and used as soil conditioner in the agricultural industry. You can also buy it at all the household waste recycling sites in East Sussex.

There are three types of recycling you can do in West Sussex: Mixed recycling, green waste and textiles recycling. Here’s what happens to each: 

Mixed recycling – Items you place in your mixed recycling bin at home get sent to the Ford Materials Recycling Facility near Arundel. There, it is mechanically sorted and seperated into individual material types. Then, it is baled up and transported to reprocessors which will manufacturer the material into new goods and products.

Green waste –  Waste placed in your garden bin is sent to the Olus site near Henfield or The Woodhorn Group site in Tangmere. There, it is converted into compost which is then sold to consumers and businesses.

Textiles recycling – All textile waste is collected from the various collection points in West Sussex and sorted into two categories: textiles that can be reused or textiles to be recycled by shredding. Shredded textiles are used to manufacture a range of cleaning cloths and frock rags. Felt materials are used in automotive soundproofing and mattress stuffing.

Green waste is turned into compost which is sold to businesses and consumers. While mixed recycling can be used to make a whole host of things. Read the section about West Sussex recycling above to find out more.