Your recycling questions answered

To make sure your recycling can be properly processed, it's important to clean your items before placing them in the recycling bin. A quick rinse is usually enough, but for tough food residue, a brief soak may help.

If recyclables have leftover food or drink on them, they can spoil the entire batch, both in your bin and later at the recycling facility.

If you're worried about wasting water, you can use leftover water from other household tasks to rinse them.

Keeping your recycling dry is important to ensure it can be properly sorted and processed. Wet paper and cardboard become soggy and can't be recycled. They can also stick to glass and metal, making it difficult to separate these materials during sorting, which can clog up the machinery.

To avoid this, make sure your recycling bin lid is closed to keep out rain and ensure bottles and cans are empty before placing them in the bin.

If you have excess recycling, it is important that you check your local district or boroughs excess recycling policy. Please remember that all recycling must be dry, so keep it out of the rain prior to collection.

For the recycling machines at the Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) to work properly, your items need to be loose in the bin. If they’re wrapped in plastic bags or bundled together, the machines can't sort them. So, don’t bag up your recycling and keep plastic bags out of your recycling bin.

Take plastic bags to your local supermarket or put them in the general waste bin.

You can recycle a lot at home, but if you’re unsure about something, don’t just throw it in the recycling bin and hope for the best. Check our preparing your household recycling web page to see where specific items should go.

You can also visit our additional collections page to learn more about special kerbside collections for unusual items so you can recycle as much as possible. If you are looking for recycling information on a specific item, check our A-Z of recycling.

 

 

See plastics for more information

 

See plastics for more information.

No, do not put your recycling in plastic bags before placing it in your recycling bin. The sorting machinery at the Materials Recycling Facility cannot open plastic bags. Instead, place your recycling in the recycling bin clean, dry and loose and not in any bags or boxes.

Top tip: If you have to take your recycling to a bin store, use a reusable bag to transport your materials to the recycling bin instead of using plastic bags. You can reuse the bag over and over again.

 

See plastic bags and wrapping for more information.

 

See bathroom materials for more information.

Find out more about how to recycle plastics on our A-Z. Popular topics are:

• black plastic, pot, tubs and trays
• cleaning products
• coat hangers
• coffee pods
• compostable packaging (bioplastics) 
• garden furniture
• plastics
• toothpaste tubes
• toys

 

See shredded paper for more information.

Do I have to remove staples from paper?

No, staples will be removed during the screening process at the paper mills.

Should I remove the plastic wrapper around junk mail and magazine supplements?

Yes, please remove the plastic wrapper. The Materials Recycling Facility cannot automatically remove it. Place the plastic wrapper in your rubbish bin or take it to a supermarket drop-off point if available.

Should I remove the Sellotape from wrapping paper and cardboard boxes?

Yes, please remove as much Sellotape as possible. Small pieces of Sellotape will be removed during the screening process at the paper mills.

 

See cartons for more information.

Find out more about how to recycle plastics on our A-Z. Popular topics are:

• books
• envelopes
• greeting cards and wrapping
• paper
• paper towels
• Pizza boxes and cardboard food containers
• Pringles tubes
• takeaway coffee cups
• wipes
• Yellow Pages and catalogues 

Yes. Remove the metal lids from the glass bottles or jars and place them loose in your recycling bin.

Find out more about how to recycle glass on our A-Z. Popular topics are:

• Drinking glasses
• glass
• Pyrex

 

See aluminium foil for more information

It's important to rinse your tins and cans to remove any leftover food or liquid. If leftover food or liquid spills onto other recyclables, like paper, it can prevent those items from being recycled and may even affect all the items in the recycling lorry.

No, do not place these in your recycling bin. They can harm the recycling machinery and contaminate other recyclables. Take these items to your nearest Recycling Centre.

Some of our Recycling Centres offer the opportunity to donate old paint for reuse. For more information on what can be accepted and for locations visit our Recycling Centre reuse page.

Only put clean aluminium foil in the recycling bin. If the foil has food remnants that don't come off with a quick rinse, do not include it.

 

See household batteries for more information.

Find out more about how to recycle metals on our A-Z. Popular topics are:

• aluminium foil
• biscuit and sweet tins
• cans (including aerosols)
• chocolate/ sweet wrappers
• crisp packets
• gas bottles
• pet food pouches

 

See vapes for more information.

Some items cannot be recycled in your home bin, but your local council may offer additional kerbside collections. Check our page household collections for information on additional kerbside collections near you.

 

Our easy-to-use online booking system will not only help you find your nearest Recycling Centre, but also manages demand, so that our team have the time to offer helpful advice and guidance and you won’t have to wait too long for your turn.

You can book a visit two weeks in advance or on the same day if there is availability through our website or by phoning 01243 642106.

Food residue, leftovers and unopened food packaging can contaminate other recyclable materials and affect the quality of the recycling process. Ensure all items in your recycling bin are food-free, clean, dry and loose.

The government has announced its plans for every council in England to collect a core set of materials for recycling, including mandated separate food waste collections. Visit our West Sussex Waste Partnership web page for more information.

Find out more about how to recycle metals on our A-Z. Popular topics are:

• CDs and DVDs
• disposable barbeques
• electrical equipment
• lightbulbs
• textiles
• toys
• video and audio cassettes

 

Reusable nappies can reduce waste and save money compared to disposable nappies. They are easier to clean and use than in the past. Consider using reusable nappies at home or when convenient and use disposables when necessary.

See nappies for more information.

 

Reusable nappies can reduce waste and save money compared to disposable nappies. They are easier to clean and use than in the past. Consider using reusable nappies at home or when convenient and use disposables when necessary.

See nappies for more information.

 

For more information visit our Recycling and waste prevention website. It provides detailed guidance on how to reuse, donate, recycle, or dispose of various materials.