Food waste collections

In West Sussex, food waste makes up a staggering 40% of the average household general black top waste bin. So, it makes sense to collect this waste separately as it is then easier to recycle.

The Government announced on 25th March 2024 that funding is available to local councils to fund the collection of food waste.
The good news is that Mid Sussex District Council will receive a grant of £1,041,808 following a successful application for funds. Councils in England will be supported with up to £295 million in funding to introduce weekly food waste collections by 31st March 2026, providing new food waste containers for homes and specialist collection vehicles.

Collections of food waste from every household will prevent contamination of other waste which could then be usefully recycled

Composting

Of course, you can compost lots of your food waste at home. You can use a plastic compost bin bought from WSCC. Here – www.bit.ly/4abK98s – you will also find lots of useful information on composting. You also can buy one from garden centres, or make one from timber.

Success with a compost heap does require a little simple planning. A good procedure is to keep food scraps consisting of vegetables, tea bags, and fruit and transfer them every couple of days to your garden compost bin. You then add grass cuttings in roughly equal portions and that is it.

By not adding meat or fish it does not attract rats.

This simple mixture breaks down quickly and so twice a year, you can empty the compost bin to use the contents as compost for the garden.

So, whilst we are awaiting the start of food waste collection by MSDC, you could try a compost heap for your own compost. If it works out well for you, then you can use the MSDC collection for meat and fish and any excess food waste, when the collection commences.

Home

To recycle your used candles a little effort is required.

First, you need to separate the waste wax from its container. You can scrape it out, but I have found the best way is to simply pop them into a plastic bag and pop them into your freezer. The next day the wax is very easy to separate from its container.
Now you have wax and a container. You could have a go at making your own candles. Look online and you can buy 50 new wicks for under a tenner, and then blend together all your favourite candles to make a new ones in your favourite containers.

Another alternative is to find someone who will use your used candles and containers and I am happy to tell you that at Lindfield Repair Café (first Saturday of each month at 10am), we collect all your used candles, and they will be made into new candles. No need to separate the candle wax from the container, just drop them off.

A final option is to dispose of them yourself. Separate the wax and container, and the tea light containers are aluminium and can go into your blue top kerbside recycling bin, provided they are clean of all wax.

Waste wax must go into your blacktop rubbish bin. If the container is glass or plastic, it is more problematic, as it may have a higher melting temperature so it does not set alight with the candle, and so is not able to be kerbside recycled. Blacktop bin again.