New items to be collected for recycling from Horsham district households

Residents can now book a free collection of broken small electricals and unwanted textiles for recycling.

The Horsham District Council service, run in partnership with West Sussex County Council, forms part of a trial which will run from May 2021 to January 2022.

Households are also being offered a kerbside collection for batteries alongside regular recycling and rubbish collections.

More than 800 tonnes of textiles and 130 tonnes of small electricals are thrown away in rubbish bins in the Horsham district every year.

Booking a free collection of these items will save valuable resources from going to waste.

Kettles, toasters, irons, hairdryers, radios, electronic toys, power tools and many more small electricals and unwanted textiles including clothes, shoes and towels will be able to be recycled using the new trial service.

Most small electricals, items that have a plug, battery or lead, are accepted but some restrictions apply.

Many of these items often stop working but could be repaired or they may be unwanted but have re-use value to others, so HDC is urging residents to consider re-use and repair options where possible and only use this service for broken items.

Philip Circus, HDC’s cabinet member for environment, recycling, waste and cleansing, said: “We are really excited to be introducing this trial for the collection, re-use and recycling of household electrical, textiles and batteries.

“I am sure the trial service will offer a convenient solution for residents to recycle their unwanted items from their doorsteps, maximising their lifecycle and reducing the carbon impact of these items going to waste.

“I hope that our residents will engage with and be supportive of this new venture to build upon the great work they have already done to improve recycling rates in our district.”

Deborah Urquhart, the county council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, added: “We are committed to making it as easy and convenient as possible for our residents to recycle and this service is going to make a big difference to households in the Horsham district.

“At the moment residents can take these items to our Household Waste Recycling Sites for disposal. This new service will make it far more convenient for residents to recycle broken and unwanted electrical items and textiles.

“I look forward to hearing how the trial progresses and to hear how it impacts recycling rates in the area.”

For more information and to book a collection, visit the council’s website.

Batteries should be placed in a small, clear plastic bag (such as a sandwich bag or food bag) and the bag placed on top of either green-top rubbish bins or blue-top recycling bins on the usual collection day. They should not be placed inside recycling or rubbish bins.