Community Recycling

Are you recycling all you can? We are asking all Mid Sussex residents to think about what they are putting in their household bins, so we can reduce the amount of waste produced.

Below are some alternative recycling options for items that can't go in your blue lidded household recycling bin.

Please note that MSDC review the information on this page on a regular basis. However, we cannot guarantee that all alternative recycling options will be available at the time of viewing this information. We advise that you check with the organisations that run the services directly before using a service or visiting a location.

There are numerous 'Bring Banks' located throughout the district that accept textiles, books and shoes. A list of locations and acceptable items can be found on our recycling sites page

You can donate clothes, shoes, books, toys, music, homeware and more at any local charity shop. Many also take "rags" that can’t be sold in their shops as they can still receive valuable income by selling on old textiles. You can search online for your nearest charity shop.

For larger items such as pre-loved furniture the following charities also provide collections.

FurniHelp Mid Sussex

A charity founded in 1998 to help people in need in Mid Sussex to furnish their homes.

The charity takes

• second hand furniture
• household goods

Equipment from donated items are made available to local people in need.

Contact details

Furnihelp website
Tel: 01342 811755

St Peter & St James Hospice

Donate unwanted pre-loved furniture. In compliance with trading standards all beds or upholstered items, unless antique or vintage, must carry a fire label to prove they comply with fire regulations.

To arrange a collection then please contact the hospice.

Contact details

St Peter & St James Hospice website
Tel: 01444 470205

British Heart Foundation

British Heart Foundation take the following goods

• furniture
• electrical items
• bags
• books
• clothes
• DVDs
• Toys

These can then be sold in one of their stores

Book a free collection

Contact details

British Heart Foundation website
Tel: 0808 250 0030

You can join local re-use networks and gift or receive reusable goods for free whilst helping to divert reusable goods from landfill.

Freecycle

There are local groups in Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath

Search for local Freecycle groups

Freegle

There are local groups in Burgess Hill, East Grinstead and Haywards Heath

Search for local Freegle groups

Facebook

There are also numerous local Facebook groups/community pages available where you can post items for recycling/re-use. Examples include:

• Burgess Hill & Haywards Heath shop local, recycle and help your local community
• Things for Sale/Swap or Free in East Grinstead
• Hassocks selling/buying group

Search Facebook for local groups

Love Junk

LoveJunk is an online marketplace that can match you to nearby licensed waste collectors and reuse charities.

Love Junk

Advice and tips

Reduce your waste - West Sussex County Council

Lots of really good tips on food storage and using up leftovers.

Love Food Hate Waste

Fantastic recipes for leftover food and money saving ideas on how to make your food shop go further.

Food waste apps

OLIO

OLIO connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. This could be food nearing its sell-by date in local stores, spare home-grown vegetables, bread from your baker, or the groceries in your fridge when you go away. OLIO can also be used for non-food household items too.

Too Good To Go

Too Good To Go is a social impact company, building a movement that helps everyone to fight food waste together. Just download the Too Good to Go app and start rescuing delicious, unsold food from local cafes, stores and restaurants.

Click on the drop down arrows below to find further information on community fridges and food banks in the areas listed below.

Terracycle is an innovative recycling company that recycle typically hard to recycle waste. Many leading brands such as McVities sponsor free recycling programmes through which you can earn Terracycle points which are redeemable for charitable donations to local schools or non-profit organisations.

The number of free recycling programmes is growing all the time. Here are just some of the free recycling programmes that are currently available

• Baby food pouches, caps and snack packets (ANY brand)
• Cheese flexible plastic packaging and nets (ANY brand)
• Nuts, popcorn, crisps & pretzel packets / wrappers (ANY brand)
• Non savoury biscuit, cracker and cake wrappers (ANY brand)
• Oral care products and packaging (used toothbrushes (including electric heads), toothpaste tubes and plastic packaging (ANY brand)
• Personal care & beauty packaging (ANY brand)
• Writing instruments - pens, highlighters, correction fluid pots/tape containers, glue sticks, markers, felt tips (ANY brand)
• Confectionary wrappers, pouches and bags (ANY brand)
• Bread bags (ANY brand)
• Soft contact lenses and blister packs (ANY brand)
• Dishwashing, cleaning and fragrance flexible packaging (ANY brand)
• Plastic ring carriers (ANY brand)
• Air, Home and Laundry care packaging (ANY brand)
• Make-up, packaging (ANY brand)

You can register and set up a public or private drop off location for your Terracycle waste or alternatively check out the interactive map on the Terracycle website for existing drop off locations near you.

Each registered drop off location can donate the Terracycle points to the charity of their choice.

If you are looking for alternatives to plastic bags for your weekly shop then look no further. You can get a delightful hand crafted Morsbag made out of donated material/fabric for free.

Visit the Morsbag website to find a local volunteer pod in Mid Sussex or if you fancy getting involved you can contact a local pod or start one of your own and get sewing! There are template bag patterns on the website and you can order labels to sew on your bags.

Everything is free and bags can be distributed directly or through local shops, libraries and schools.

Repair Cafés are free 'community-centred workshops' run by volunteers for local residents to bring consumer products in need of repair (such as bikes, small electricals, items of clothing and other household goods), where you can work together with volunteer fixers to repair and maintain broken or faulty products. In addition to repair, many Repair Cafés provide assistance with product modification, particularly to clothing to improve fit and appearance. The service is free, however donations towards running costs are appreciated. A café is usually available where you can enjoy a cuppa and a cake at the same time.

Burgess Hill repair café

Run on the second Saturday of every month at Salvation Army Hall, 40 Cyprus Road, Burgess Hill. For more information contact @BHRepairCafe on Facebook.

Timing: Run on the second Saturday of every month (10am – 1pm)

Location: The Kiln, 1A The Martlets Shopping Centre, Burgess Hill, RH15 9NN

Contact: Find @BHRepairCafe on Facebook or visit www.thekiln.org.uk

Chailey repair café

Timing: Run on the second Saturday of every month (10am-1pm)

Location: St Peter's Church, Chailey Green, Chailey, BN8 4DA

Contact: Email chaileyrc@gmail.com or find more information @RepairCafe.org on Facebook.

Although located just outside the Mid Sussex District, the repair café is open to local residents living nearby.

East Grinstead repair café

Timing: Run on the second Saturday of every month (10am – 1pm)

Location: Glen Vue Centre, Railway Approach, East Grinstead, RH19 1BS

Contact: Email info@repaircafeeg.co.uk or find more information @repaircafeEG on Facebook or visit their website for details

Lindfield Repair Café

Timing: Run on the first Saturday of every month from 10am – 1pm (except Bank Holidays reverts to second Saturday of the month)

Location: Lindfield United Reformed Church, 57 High Street, Lindfield, RH16 2HL

Contact: Please email lindfieldrepaircafe@gmail.com Tel 07817 465965, follow on facebook @LindfieldRC or visit their website for details www.lindfieldrepaircafe.org

The Mid Sussex Wood Recycling Project are a Social Enterprise not for profit environmental group. They can collect wood from commercial enterprises and also undertake house, shed and garage clearances. Recycled timber and wood products can also be purchased.

Plastic Milk Bottle Tops

Milk bottle tops are too small for recycling via our household recycling collections. If you would like to set up a plastic bottle top recycling scheme for your chosen charity or you are a company who could provide a recycling point where bottle tops can be collected in bulk contact GHS Recycling based in Portsmouth.

Printer & Toner Cartridges

The recycling factory have raised over £5 million for UK charities and also work with schools across the UK via their Recycling for Schools Scheme. Visit the Recycling Factory's website to find details of their partner charities and how you can recycle for them or how to raise funds for your local school.

Terracycle

Many leading brands such as McVities sponsor free recycling programmes through which you can earn Terracycle points by recycling typically hard to recycle waste. These points are redeemable for charity donations to local schools or non-profit organisations. Visit the Terracycle section above for further details.

Textiles & Shoes

Bags of Support is a Green Award winning organisation based in West Sussex that ethically recycle textiles. Schools, charities and organisations can raise valuable funds by collecting and recycling unwanted clothes, shoes and bedding which are collected for free.

Textiles

Check out our textiles page for more information on repairing, re-using and recycling your textiles in addition to a handy guide on how to organise a successful swishing (clothes swap) event.

Plastic bags & films

Some plastic films can be recycled at supermarket carrier bag collection points. Look out for the 'Recycle with carrier bags at larger stores' message on your breakfast cereal, toilet and kitchen roll wraps, bread bags, grocery produce, multipack shrink wrap and newspaper / magazine wrap. You can find local recycling points for plastic bags and films on the national recycling locator.
If you would prefer to use a re-usable fabric shopping bag look no further... just visit the Morsbag website.

Batteries

Most household batteries can be recycled using our small electricals kerbside recycling service. taken to your local Recycling Centre and placed in the designated container or recycle at all supermarkets and any shops or stores that sell batteries. You can find your nearest recycling point using the locator tool on the recycle your electricals website

Plant Pots

There is a national plant pot recycling scheme that all UK garden centres who are members of the Horticultural Trade Association have access to which is run by Ecogen Recycling. Check if your local garden centre is an HTA member and if they participate in this take back scheme. If not, why not ask them to participate?

B&Q also accept used plastic plant pots and trays in any of their stores, a small amount of soiling is acceptable.

Carpets

What can you do with your old carpet? Visit the Carpet Recycling UK website for suggestions and further contact details

Mobile Phones & Tech

Mobile phones and most other small tech can be recycled using our small electricals kerbside collection service or alternatively you can take them to your local Recycling Centre. You can find other local recycling options using the locator tool on the recycle your electricals website.

Websites such as Music Magpie also purchase old items and will donate proceeds to one of their chosen charities for you if you request it.

CD and DVD Recycling

These can be taken to your local Recycling Centre.

Some charities offer a recycling service along with their ink cartridge recycling envelopes. You can also take them to your local charity shop or sell them via Music Magpie.

• Visit Recycling and waste prevention - West Sussex County Council for a complete A-Z of recycling guidance for residents of West Sussex.
• Use the recycling locator to find out where you can recycle a specific item or find your nearest recycling location.

If you are aware of other community recycling initiatives within Mid Sussex we would love to hear from you.

Please email our sustainability team at sustainability@midsussex.gov.uk