December 2024 news

View our news items from December 2024.

Think Before You Buy

As this is the final edition of our newsletter before Christmas, we’d like to take a moment to wish you all a merry Christmas and encourage everyone to continue to reduce waste wherever possible this December.

For example, you could consider using reusable crockery when hosting parties, or organise a clothes swap with friends to refresh your wardrobe for the party season.

We understand that some waste is unavoidable, so we’d also like to remind everyone to recycle as much as possible. Many holiday items can be recycled, including:

Christmas cards
wrapping paper (if it passes the scrunch test - no glitter or foil!)
paper and cardboard gift bags
glass bottles and jars
plastic bottles (with lids on)
plastic pots, tubs and trays (including sweet and chocolate tubs)
flexible toothpaste tubes
tins and cans
foil
Pringles tubes

Remember to keep items clean, dry and loose and close your bin lid to keep the rain out. If you have more than what will comfortably fit, check with your local district or borough council for their excess recycling policy, or take it to one of our Recycling Centres - don't let that good recycling go to waste!

Finally, it’s easy for food waste to build up over the festive period. Instead of letting those leftovers go to waste, why not turn them into something delicious? Watch our video below for tips on making the most of your Christmas leftovers.

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Exciting news! New Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund announced

We are thrilled to announce, in partnership with Biffa, the launch of the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund, opening for applications on 13 January 2025.

This grant fund is designed to empower local community groups, schools, charities and social enterprises to take innovative steps in reducing waste. With grants of up to £5,000 available, this is a fantastic opportunity to bring your waste prevention ideas to life and reduce waste in West Sussex!

Applications to the fund should focus on one or more of the following areas:

reducing waste at its source
reuse and repair
food waste prevention
community waste prevention engagement

Applications open Monday 13 January 2025 and close on Sunday 2 March 2025. For more details on eligibility and how to apply, visit the Waste Prevention Community Grant Fund web page.

GIVEAWAY at our UKHarvest Community Food Hubs

We’ve got something special for everyone visiting our waste prevention stands at the December Community Food Hubs! As part of our free raffle at each hub, we’re giving away two slow cookers and one air fryer along with some great recipes that help reduce food waste.

Don’t miss out - rescue some food and visit one of our stands at any of the December Community Food Hubs to enter. Good luck and see you there!

Dates, times and locations of our UKHarvest Community Food Hubs can be found on our UKHarvest food waste minimisation project web page.

Christmas bin collections and Recycling Centre opening hours

Due to the bank holidays, some collection days may change over the Christmas period. It is important to check with your local district or borough council for more information on how you may be affected:

If you live in Adur & Worthing, Arun, Chichester or Horsham districts, why not download their apps and stay up to date on any changes with your bin collections?

Alongside collection changes, all the Recycling Centres will close at 2.00pm on 24 December and will be closed on the 25 and 26 December. They will also be closed on 1 January 2025. For more information on Recycling Centre opening hours, visit our recycling centres web pages.

Upcoming waste prevention events

Throughout West Sussex, we are proud to work alongside a team of passionate recycling and waste prevention volunteers. They attend public and private events to promote waste prevention, reuse and recycling, and are eager to answer questions about the county's recycling services and waste reduction initiatives.

In addition to the public events listed below, we are participating in numerous privately hosted talks and events for local community groups, schools and other organisations. If you would like our team to give a talk, visit your school, attend an event, or if you would like more information, email us at waste.prevention@westsussex.gov.uk.

December and January events

Saturday 7 December (9.00am to 2.00pm) - Waste prevention stand at Midhurst Market, Church Hill, Midhurst, GU29 9NJ
Saturday 7 December (10.00am) - Lindfield Repair Café, United Reform Church, 52 High Street, Lindfield, RH16 2HL
Wednesday 11 December (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at UKHarvest Community Food Hub, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick Street, Southwick, BN42 4TE
Thursday 12 December (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at UKHarvest Community Food Hub, Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, Storrington, RH20 4BG
Friday 13 December (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at UKHarvest Community Food Hub, Ascension Church, 110 Vale Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4JS
Wednesday 18 December (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at UKHarvest Community Food Hub, Broadfield Community Centre, Broadfield Barton, Broadfield, Crawley, RH11 9BA
Thursday 19 December (10.00am to 11.00am) - Waste prevention stand at UKHarvest, Sidney Walter Centre, Worthing, BN11 1DS
Saturday 21 December (11.00am to 3.00pm) - Waste prevention stand at the Holiday Activity Fund Play Day, The Regis School, Bognor Regis, PO21 5LH
Friday 10 January (2.00pm to 4.00pm) - Clothes and Book Swap, The Chapel, Graylingwell Drive, Chichester, PO19 6BZ
Monday 15 January (10.30am to 12.30pm) - Waste prevention stand, Horsham Unitarian Church, Worthing Road, Horsham, RH12 1SL
Wednesday 24 January (10.00am to 6.00pm) - 'Reach Out' Face-to-Face Community Engagement Roadshow, County Mall Shopping Centre, Crawley, RH10 1FP
Thursday 25 January (10.00am to 6.00pm) - 'Reach Out' Face-to-Face Community Engagement Roadshow, County Mall Shopping Centre, Crawley, RH10 1FP