Plastic flower pots

Most gardeners will admit to hoarding far too many pots in the garden shed. Unfortunately, garden plastics, for example plant pots, seed trays, tools and furniture, cannot be recycled in your kerbside recycling bin. The reason is that they are often made of a different type of plastic to the plastic used for household bottles, tubs and trays.

So how can you dispose of unwanted plastic plant pots?

• Do ask the retailer you bought your plants from if they will recycle used plastic plant pots.

• You can take plastic plant pots to B&Q stores, as they operate their own recycling scheme. Do you know they have a big recycling container that accepts small electrical items, batteries, light bulbs and florescent tubes too?

• Do offer them for free on social media sites or offer them to your local allotment holders.

• A national plant pot take-back scheme has just been launched by the Horticultural Trade Association (HTA), which will enable its members to send trays and pots for recycling. The HTA (with 1,800 garden centre members across the UK) says will not only enable members to become more sustainable but will also save them money.

You can now take these to Burgess Hill tip, where they can be deposited separately for recycling. - This is currently a trial to ensure that the items can be collected separately and the council will look at the feasibility of rolling it out to other sites in the future.

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Recycling home page

Bubble wrap and bags

Bubble wrap is made of the same type of plastic as plastic carrier bags and so can be taken to the carrier bag bin in Co-op, Marks and Spencers, or Waitrose, and you will no longer need to put then into your black bin. A simple routine of a bag to pop it into and drop off before you start shopping.

Note: As of November 2023, Sainsburys, Haywards Heath will no longer be accepting soft plastics for recycling. They will still offer the recycling of plastic hangers, batteries, cosmetics, and water filters.

I don’t think everyone is aware of this. Carrier bag bins (at supermarkets) can recycle so many more plastic items, such as:

• Plastic carrier bags

• Plastic bread bags (shake out)

• Plastic cereal bags (like porridge oats bags, not inners from boxes of cereals, although some are recyclable - check the label)

• Plastic wrappers and ring joiners from multipacks of cans

• Toilet roll and kitchen roll plastic wrappers

• Plastic freezer bags

• Plastic magazine and newspaper wrappers (from your letterbox post)

• Fruit and veg supermarket bags

• Bubble wrap

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Cans, tins & packs

All of the following can be recycled in your blue topped kerbside recycling bin.

• Aerosol cans – Deodorants, hair spray and air fresheners

• Biscuit tins – Metal and plastic biscuit tins and lids

• Blister packs – Plastic blister packs. Remember to check all the tablets are removed

• Cartons (including Tetra Pak cartons) – Fruit juice, long life milk, soup and smoothie cartons

• Envelopes – We can recycle window envelopes

• Plastic cups – If you do buy a takeaway coffee, remember that your plastic cup and the lid can be recycled in your blue top recycling bin

• Plastic bottles – Remove tops first, then recycle

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The exception to this list is the Jiffy bag. Please place any Jiffy bags in the rubbish bin please, or reuse.

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Large household waste

Large items such as furniture and white goods can be tricky to dispose of, especially if you don’t have access to a van.
Did you know that Mid Sussex District Council provides a collection and disposal service? It is a chargeable service. For details see: MSDC Waste Removal.

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