3, 2, 1… Go! Countdown to launch of waste changes

- 20/10/2025

It’s less than three weeks now until the launch of Mid Sussex District Council’s (MSDC) 1, 2, 3 waste programme, including new weekly food waste collections, which will require major changes to residents’ household routines.

On 3rd November, every household and communal property in Mid Sussex will move to a new waste collection programme: following Government legislation, MSDC will now pick up food waste every week, from new caddies and bins that have either already been delivered or will arrive over the next two weeks.

This project is one of the largest that MSDC has ever engaged in: all 72,000 households in the district will be included, and we have been working on the programme for more than two years.

It has seen significant capital expenditure on a fleet of 11 new waste collection vehicles and the delivery of more than 140,000 bins and caddies to every home and has created 30 new jobs in the district.

By separating food waste, the Council will be able to recycle a large amount of domestic waste that was previously thrown away with general waste. It’s estimated that up to two fifths of the waste thrown away by households is currently food waste that can be recycled.

Our plans in Mid Sussex are to send that waste to an anaerobic digester where it will be converted to energy and turned into fertiliser, so your waste could end up powering your house and feeding local crops.

Recycling collections will remain on a fortnightly schedule, while general waste collections will now take place once every three weeks: with food waste now being picked up on a weekly basis, you will find your black bin to be significantly less full than previously.

The Council has been working very closely with its waste contractor, Serco, to ensure that the change process is as smooth as possible.

The Council has been delivering the new caddies to each household and encourages residents to check to see if they are one of the lucky 10 people to have received a Golden Ticket in their new caddy which could lead to winning a prize of premium local produce from Mid Sussex. Be sure to check your caddy when it arrives!

Over the last few months, MSDC has communicated the changes with each household, and we invite residents to check our Frequently Asked Questions for answers to common queries or to contact us through our various channels with any outstanding questions.

Councillor Chris Hobbs, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Customer Services, said: “This is an unprecedented initiative in the history of Mid Sussex District Council, impacting every resident in the district.

“With our partners at Serco, we are aiming to make the transition to the new collection schedules as simple as possible and are confident that residents will soon see the benefits of the new service.”