Reduced general waste collections during Mid Sussex food waste pilot

Mid Sussex households taking part in a food waste trial will see their general bins emptied once every three weeks.
Wheelie bins in Mid Sussex. Pic Steve Robards SR1705373 SUS-170321-155152001Wheelie bins in Mid Sussex. Pic Steve Robards SR1705373 SUS-170321-155152001
Wheelie bins in Mid Sussex. Pic Steve Robards SR1705373 SUS-170321-155152001

Currently both the black household waste bins and blue-topped recycling bins are collected every fortnight.

But this could change for the approximately 3,000 households due to take part in a trial of separate weekly collections for food waste and absorbent hygiene products.

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Household waste would be collected once every three weeks, while fortnightly collections for recycling and garden waste (subscription) would continue as normal.

The trial would take place across three areas in Mid Sussex and start in April, running for six to nine months.

The pilot is due to be discussed by Mid Sussex District Council cabinet members on Monday (February 10).

In a video post on Facebook, Jonathan Ash-Edwards, leader of the district council, said: “We know Mid Sussex residents are hugely keen to do their bit to protect our environment and reduce our environmental impact and we hope that this trial will be a big part of being able to do so.”

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According to the council more than 41 per cent of contents of the average black wheelie bin is food waste and more than half of what people throw away can be recycled in their blue-lidded bins.

The reasoning is that as people will be putting less rubbish into their black wheelie bins they will not need to be emptied as often.

Within the pilot there will be an opt-in weekly collection service for households that throw away disposable nappy-type products and feminine hygiene products.

According to officers the benefits of the pilot include: “The introduction of weekly collections of food waste and AHP would be a service improvement for the residents of Mid Sussex.

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“With fortnightly dry recycling collections, a popular green waste subscription service, and weekly collection of food waste and AHP, the residual waste stream would consist of only inert non-recyclable waste such as rigid plastics, plastic film and polystyrene; and so three-weekly collections would be sufficient.”

Any food waste collected through the trial will be treated separately via anaerobic digestion and will contribute to the Mid Sussex’s recycling rate.

West Sussex County Council has an ‘in principle’ agreement to bulk all food waste collected in-county at Ford, before onward shipping for processing at Basingstoke in Hampshire.

The county council will also explore the possibility of bulking the waste at Burgess Hill.

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It has provided a longer-term commitment to develop a facility within the county for processing at the existing mechanical and biological treatment plant at Warnham north of Horsham when there is a wider roll-out of the service.

What do you think of the proposals? Email our letters page.