We are making improvements to our textiles and small electrical recycling service. After 15 July 2022, if you want to use this service you will need to book a free collection online. Our online booking service will be available on our website from 18 July 2022.
We are currently trialling a free kerbside collection service for your unwanted textiles and broken small electrical items.
The trial will initially cover approximately 75% of households in the Chichester District and has been designed to make recycling at home even easier. The trial started in July 2021 and will last for 12 months. We will then look at options to see if this is something we could roll out to the whole of the district.
As part of the trial we are also introducing a coffee pod recycling service in partnership with Podback.
- How does the textile and small electrical collection service work?
- What do we collect?
- Frequently asked questions
How does the textile and small electrical collection service work?
To use this service you will need to place your items out for collection in one of our dedicated recycling bags previously supplied. These bags are:
- a blue bag for textiles; and,
- a pink bag for small electricals.
We are no longer sending out bags on request to support the changes we are currently making to the service. Information on these changes and how to use the updated service will be available from 18 July 2022.
Collections currently take place once a month by a dedicated crew. Collection days may be different to your normal bin day. You can check your next textiles and small electricals collection day:
Once you have received your recycling bag(s), follow these instructions to help us recycle your items:
- Check it - check to see if your item is accepted on our checklist and make sure you check your collection day.
- Bag it - place your items in the correct bag provided (a blue bag for textiles and a pink bag for small electricals).
- Tie it - tie the bag securely so the contents stay dry and secure.
- Recycle it - place the bag outside at your normal collection point where it is clearly visible from the roadside by 7am on the morning of collection.
- Let us do the rest! The dedicated crew will collect the bags each month for sorting and recycling.
Please do not leave bags out overnight. If the items become wet, we are unable to recycle them and won't be able to collect your bags as part of this service.
For more information about the trial service, please see our frequently asked questions.
What do we collect?
Textiles
| Category | What we collect |
|---|---|
| Clothing | Any used clean dry clothing items |
| Bedding | Sheets Pillowcases Duvet covers |
| Accessories | Paired Shoes Belts Handbags |
| Other | Towels Tea Towels Curtains |
Textiles we cannot currently accept:
- Soiled or wet clothing
- Carpets or rugs
- Duvets and pillows
- Face masks
- Books
- Bric-a-Brac
- Metal, glass or sharp objects
- General waste
Small electricals
| Category | What we collect |
|---|---|
| Small household appliances | Air purifiers, fresheners and diffusers (please remove perfume or oil) Automatic peelers, can openers and jar openers Blenders, smoothie makers and juicers Clocks, including alarm clocks Coffee machines, including grinders Electric blankets Extension cables and leads Fans (e.g. small desk fan) Fan Heaters Handheld vacuum cleaners, dust busters and hand held steam cleaners Ice cream machine Irons Kettles Sodastreams Toasters, including sandwich toasters and grills Travel adaptor |
| Lighting | Bike lights Ceiling lights Christmas tree, fairy and string lights Desk and table lamps Torches (remove any batteries) Wall lights |
| Personal grooming | Bathroom scales Epilators and electric shavers and trimmers Hair clippers Hairstyling tools (including hairdryers, straighteners, tongs and ceramic rollers) Electric toothbrush |
| Toys | Electronic toys and games Games consoles and controllers |
| Phones and Accessories | Answering machines Landline phones Tablets Smartwatches |
| Visual and Audio Equipment | Cameras and camcorders Digital photo frames up to 26" on the diagonal Go-Pros Headphones Microphones MP3 Players and iPods Musical instruments Radios Small speakers and stereo systems |
| Televisions, IT and accessories | DVD players Keyboards, mouses and headsets Remote controls Small printers, scanners and fax machines TVs and monitors up to 26" on the diagonal Webcams WIFI routers |
| Monitoring and Control Instruments | Baby monitors Carbon monoxide detectors SMART energy screens (less than 6" diameter) Smoke alarms/detectors Thermostats/temperature control devices Timers (including cooking timers and light timers) |
Small Electricals we cannot accept:
- Batteries (please ensure you remove all batteries before recycling any devices)
- Microwave ovens
- Energy saving lightbulbs and florescent tubes
- Glass or ceramic items (e.g. slow cookers, glass kettles, etc.)
- Larger printers (including those with scanners), ink cartridges and toners
- Screens larger than 26" on the diagonal
- Items that are bigger than a standard sized carrier bag
For large items please visit our Bulky household waste collection page for further information.
Frequently asked questions
No, to use this service please use the special bags we provide. This helps our crew to identify the bags and reduce missed collections. Please remember, use the pink bag for small electricals and the blue bag for textiles.
No. To use this service simply request a bag using our form. We aim to deliver bags within 10 working days.
Please put out one bag per waste stream. In total you can put out: one pink bag for small electricals, one blue bag for textiles alongside any coffee pod bags for each scheduled collection.
Request a small electrical and textile recycling collection bag. We aim to deliver bags within 10 working days.
Collections take place once a month by a dedicated crew so collections days may be different to your normal bin day. Please check your collection day
Please place your bags just inside your property boundary at the nearest point to the public highway/road by 7am on the morning of collection. Collections for this service are completed by a special collection crew so please ensure your bags are clearly visible from the roadside and not placed behind or in your waste or recycling bin.
If you have any excess items that can't fit in your bag, you can take these to your nearest Recycling Centre . There you can recycle unwanted electrical items (big or small) as well as textiles. We also offer a Bulky household waste collection service for large items.
No. To ensure your items are recycled, please use the blue bag we provide for textiles and the pink bag for small electricals.
The trial service is for small electrical items only. For larger items that do not fit in the bag please visit our Bulky household waste collection service page, or take the item to your nearest Recycling Centre .
Unfortunately, we are unable to return to collect missed bags. If we miss your bag please either:
- Keep the bag until your next scheduled collection day.
- Take the items to your nearest Recycling Centre .
- Consider alternative repair or re-use options.
Please remember your bag will not be collected if the items are wet, or if they contain items that we cannot collect.
Please also check to make sure your items were placed out on the correct collection day, visible from the roadside and not placed behind or in your waste or recycling bin. Collections for this service may be different to your normal bin day.
The textiles collected at kerbside are taken away and sorted into different grades according to their condition. They are either sent to be reused in the developing countries or recycled into different products within the UK and other countries.
Small electrical items are processed at a specialist facility which breaks down the component parts and then recycles them into something new.
Unfortunately, we are only able to trial this service in 75% of the district. If you are not eligible, you can still recycle your items by taking them to your nearest Recycling Centre . Once the trial is complete, we will be looking to see if this is something we could potentially roll out to the whole of the district.
If they are in good condition, we'd encourage you to consider donating these to one of the many fantastic charities in our district where they can find a new home. The focus of this trial is to help residents recycle as much as possible and collect items charities may not be able to accept, such as old and worn clothing.
If they are in good condition, we'd encourage you to consider donating these to one of the many fantastic charities in our district where they can find a new home. Alternatively it is always preferable to try and repair something rather than recycling it.