Think Before You Throw campaign

The waste we produce affects climate change. In Chichester District, we already recycling over 45% of our household waste, but together we can do more. Remember, it is not just recycling that can reduce our carbon footprint. You should always opt for a reusable alternative if you can. You can also try to reduce your overall waste production by only buying what you need.

As part of an analysis of Chichester District's rubbish conducted in 2021, we were able to sneak a peek at the contents of residents' bins.

This analysis found:

43% of our black bins were general rubbish.
57% had the potential to be re-used or recycled further.
13% of general waste could be recycled if put in the burgundy bin.

We have produced this video to help you with your recycling. You may find you are able to recycle more of your waste than you thought.

You can find further videos about waste and recycling on our Chichester District Council YouTube channel (opens new window).

Waste breakdown

This table breaks down what was found in our bins and what we can do with it:

	13 % Recycling Please put this in your burgundy recycling bin. We are still finding items like paper, card, plastic bottles, yogurt pots, food trays, and glass in the waste bins. These can all be recycled. We can now recycle more than ever before making recycling at home even easier. There is no need to separate your materials, just make sure all your recycling is clean, dry and loose before placing it in your burgundy bin. The good news is, the amount of recycling found in our general waste bins has gone down from 20% in 2015 to 13% in 2021. However, we still have a long way to go!
	37% Food waste This contains a mix of raw, uncooked peelings and prepared food that we've made too much of and throw away. Change your shopping habits: you can plan meals and make a shopping list before heading to the supermarket. This will help you buy only what you need. Change your cooking and eating habits: simple things like batch cooking, freezing leftovers and checking your fridge and freezer are the right temperature can help. For more information visit Love Food Hate Waste (opens new window). Compost it: if you have a garden and free space why not get a compost bin. By keeping a container in the kitchen to collect your fruit and veg peelings for composting, you could reduce your waste by up to 10%. There are a range of composting systems and West Sussex County Council offers subsidies on compost bins (opens new window). We have also been exploring the practical and financial implications surrounding the introduction of separate food waste collections at kerbside. At the moment a food waste collection trial has commenced in Arun District and will soon commence in Mid Sussex. We will be working closely with Arun and Mid Sussex District Councils to monitor the results.
	2% Electrical and electronic equipment Please don't put batteries or small electrical waste inside your general rubbish bin. Batteries disposed of in this way are extremely dangerous. They are also known to cause fires. Please take your batteries to your local recycling centre and dispose of them in the designated battery container. Find your closest recycling centre (opens new window). Small electricals can be recycled as part of our free kerbside textiles, small electricals and coffee pod collection service.
	2% Textiles 2% of our waste is textiles. Textiles can range from decent clothes to old rags. But did you know that all textiles have another chance to be reused or even made into something new? Textiles can be recycled as part of our free kerbside textiles, small electricals and coffee pod collection service. If your unwanted clothes are still in a good condition, why not donate them to a local charity shop.
	3% Garden waste Garden waste should not be placed in your rubbish bin. It can be composted at home instead. Alternatively, you can sign up to our garden recycling service and have a 240-litre bin collected fortnightly from your address for around £1 per week.
	43% General rubbish This belongs in your black waste bin as there is no outlet for kerbside reuse or recycling. However, 7% of this waste was soft plastics. Soft plastics are now accepted for recycling by most supermarkets (opens new window).