Mid Sussex residents recycle 3,000 tonnes of food waste in six months

- 18/06/2026

Thanks to resident engagement, 3,083 tonnes of food waste, equivalent to 150 full bin lorries, have now been recycled in Mid Sussex, as the district celebrates six months of food waste collections and leads the way as the first area in West Sussex to introduce the scheme.

Launched six months ahead of the Government’s Simpler Recycling deadline, the speed and scale of behaviour change across Mid Sussex has been significant. Residents have embraced the new service and adapted to their new routines, enabling weekly food waste collections and updated dry recycling and refuse collections.

Around 17 tonnes of food waste have been recycled every day in Mid Sussex over the last six months, the same weight as 7 million tins of baked beans. This equates to about 42kg per household, or 16 bags of supermarket potatoes. Since November, the council has completed 3.39 million waste collections, including 1.69 million food waste collections, helping to recycle significant volumes and reduce carbon emissions.

More than 72,000 households, including 7,000 harder to access communal flats, are now taking part each week. The scheme also represents one of the district’s largest service expansions with 40 new and 200 revised collection routes. From lining caddies to making food waste separation part of daily life, residents have shown a strong commitment to reducing waste, helping drive one of the most successful early adoption rates in the region.

Cllr Chris Hobbs, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Customer Services, said “We’re proud to be leading the way in championing food waste recycling in Sussex. These results highlight not only the scale of residents’ engagement, but the real environmental benefits the scheme is delivering. We’d like to thank residents for their continued support, and Serco crews for their hard work in delivering a rollout of this scale and complexity.” 

Resident feedback shows a shift

Waste collections team have noticed progressively positive engagement, after some initial teething issues as the service established. Resident feedback has also reflected a shift in attitudes as well as recycling habits:

“I’ve had a change in my stance… pro food bin now! Even for the little food waste I produce. Waste food goes into anaerobic digester to be processed into renewable energy and bio-fertiliser rather than go to waste”.

Economic benefit through job creation

Beyond improving recycling outcomes and positive environmental impacts, the programme has also delivered tangible economic benefit through the creation of local jobs. To support the scheme, 36 new local jobs have been created including Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) drivers, and positions in the Council’s Waste and Customer Service teams.

Dan, from East Grinstead, a newly recruited HGV driver said, “I joined Serco during the rollout of food waste collections and quickly took on responsibility for managing my own vehicle and round. By improving route efficiency and supporting residents with additional needs, I’ve helped maintain a high standard of service. I’ve recently started supporting the supervisors to develop myself”.

Mid Sussex District Council’s Waste Monitoring Officers have also provided additional support to communal properties by assessing shared bin stores and improving the practicalities of waste collection in particular locations. Crews have assisted properties with vulnerable residents through extra support measures, including changing communal bin liners. Targeted education and engagement with communal households have helped build awareness and confidence in the service.

Operational support from national waste contractor, Serco, and programme management and advisory support from Founds Group, has been critical to implementing the programme and helping to ensure a smooth transition for residents.

Robin Mills, Serco’s Senior Contract Manager ‘South’ Region, comments:

“Six months on from the introduction of our new ways of working, it’s been extremely encouraging to see how positively the changes have been embraced by both our crews and residents across Mid Sussex. We’re seeing consistent improvements in recycling rates and a significant reduction in service issues, which is a real testament to the dedication of our crews and the pride they take in delivering excellent customer service.”

Chris Founds, Managing Director of Founds Group, reflects on the success of partnership working:

“From the start of this programme it has been important to develop the right culture between the partner organisations to achieve the objectives and ambitions set against challenging timescales. By establishing clear governance and ensuring the whole programme team where clear around their responsibilities, we’ve helped engender a collaborative delivery approach. This included a no blame culture, celebrating successes and upskilling all team members to realise positive outcomes for local residents and communities”

Creating fertiliser for our farmers

Food waste collected across the district was initially processed outside the county, but it is now being treated locally at the new anaerobic digestion facility at Brookhurst Wood in Horsham. West Sussex County Council has upgraded the Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) site to process separately collected food waste, turning it into biofertiliser and renewable energy. The biofertiliser will eventually be used as fertiliser for farmers fields in Sussex and the energy will power the plant, with any excess exported to the national grid to be used in homes.

The Council would like to thank all residents for their continued support and commitment to food waste recycling and remind them that they can set bin collection reminders on the popular Mid Sussex Resident App. Every small action makes a real difference - even one full kitchen caddy can generate enough energy to power an LED lightbulb for 24 hours.

By continuing to make full use of weekly food waste collections and recycling the right materials, local residents and Mid Sussex District Council are working together to create a cleaner, greener future.

 

ENDS