Your May 2019 Newsletter

Westhampnett fire update

The fire-hit Westhampnett Household Waste Recycling Site (HWRS) re-opened for residents to dispose of their green waste only on Thursday (18 April).

A blaze broke out in the main building at the centre involving more than 500 tonnes of household waste on 2 April and was extinguished on 9 April. However, the area where green waste is deposited was unaffected by the fire, enabling Viridor to re-open this part of the site.

What is defined as Green Waste?

You can recycle your green waste by taking it to any of the local HWRS in West Sussex for composting.

Green waste includes grass cuttings, leaves, hedge trimmings, pruning's, flowers, branches, weeds and plants. Very large branches, tree stumps and logs, will need to be taken to alternative HWRSs and placed into the wood bins.

For more FAQ’s please visit https://www.wastepreventionwestsussex.co.uk/updates-hints-and-tips/westhampnett-faqs/

Household Waste Recycling Site

When visiting one of our Household Waste Recycling Sites please:

• Plan your visit and avoid peak times if possible - weekends and bank holidays are our busiest periods and you should expect delays or queues
• Consider which materials can be recycled and re-used
• Sort your recyclables before your visit
• Remove your garden waste from any bags before placing in the containers as these can contaminate the load
• Wear appropriate clothing, gloves and footwear (no flip flops or sandals)
• Children and animals must stay in the vehicle at all times for their own safety

Tackling Textiles Results Over the last three months, we’ve been sharing hints, tips and information on Tackling Textiles. We also filmed a little video with Chichester Free School that you can watch here Now our campaign has ended, we want to get a little information from you on what you think happens to your textiles when you throw them away and how you Tackle Textiles – follow this link to our consultation and let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Disposable BBQ’s

As the weather starts to get nicer and we start to gradually get into BBQ season, we want to give you a few tips and things to remember when disposing of a disposable BBQ or BBQ ashes.

Safety Tips

Ensure the BBQ is on a flat even surface, on either bricks or paving slabs (don’t burn your grass!) and keep it well away from trees, shrubs, fences, dens and sheds!  Keep children, garden games and pets well away from the cooking area and always keep a bucket of water or sand nearby for emergencies.

Disposing of your BBQ

Please always ensure the BBQ is cool before attempting to move it. Its best to leave the BBQ for several hours and you should always pour water over it.

We recommend waiting at least 48 hours before wrapping the coals in foil and disposing of them in the general waste. Alternatively, you can take your cold and fully extinguished disposable BBQ to your nearest HWRS but please note, Westhampnett is currently only taking Green Waste.

Please ask for assistance from a member of staff on site regarding your BBQ’s disposal.

Composting and Food Waste Over the next few months, the West Sussex Waste Partnership will be helping residents to better understand composting. Throughout May and June, we're going to be sharing some hints and tips on composting including Why it’s good for the environment Why you should do it How to get started We're also going to give you a little info on what you can and what you can’t put in the compost bin! And then…we’d love for you to share your own tips with other residents on Facebook @WSrecycles and Twitter @WSrecycles So, to help you get started, you can buy your subsidised compost bin here https://www.wastepreventionwestsussex.co.uk/composting/buy-a-bin/

Materials Recycling Facility

We’ve recently seen an increase in certain dangerous items at our Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) so we just want to give a gentle reminder on what we can’t take. For more information you can visit http://www.recycleforwestsussex.org/

Nappies

Nappies CANNOT be recycled so please DO NOT put them in your recycling bin at home.

For information on real nappies visit  https://www.nct.org.uk/local-activities-meets-ups/region-south-east-england/branch-west-sussex-coastal/cloth-nappy-library

Electrical Items

In light of the recent fire at Westhampnett HWRS please do not throw electrical items such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops along with their batteries in your recycling bin or general rubbish as they can cause fires.

Batteries - Car

You can take your old car batteries to your local HWRS for recycling. These will be placed in special containers at the site.

Batteries contain heavy metals such as cadmium and zinc and MUST NOT be placed in your rubbish bin or your recycling bin at home.

The lead in car batteries is a valuable resource, and the battery cases can be recycled into new plastic products.

Please do not empty the battery before taking it to your local HWRS. This must be done in a controlled environment to avoid risk of contaminating land and water supplies.

Batteries - Household

You can recycle your household batteries by placing them in a designated container at your local HWRS.  You can also recycle your batteries at some supermarkets and high street shops that sell batteries.

If you use lots of batteries, why not look into using rechargeable batteries?

Gas Bottles

Gas bottles can be refilled for further use or taken to your local HWRS, where they will be returned to the issuing company for reuse. Gas bottles CANNOT be placed in your recycling bin, rubbish bin or in the containers at your HWRS as they are explosive.

Sharps

Unfortunately sometimes needles and syringes are found in the recycling, this puts all staff at serious risk. Items such as this should NOT be placed in your recycling or rubbish bin. Residents can contact their local District or Borough Council for advice on the safe disposal or to arrange for a clinical waste collection.

Dates for your diary    The Good Life: Revive, Recycle, Restore - Weald & Downland Museum, Singleton. Sunday 5th May and Monday 6th May from 10.30am to 5pm - Rural communities were the masters of up-cycling and sustainable living well before it ever became fashionable. Making the most of what you had and living in harmony with the natural environment were simply a given. The Good Life will show visitors how to bring a new lease of life to themselves and their possessions. West Sussex Waste Prevention Advisors will be manning our information stand on both days giving out advise on waste prevention and recycling. Other activities at the event include The Swap Shop (A fashion exchange in partnership with Transition Chichester) and The Repair Café (On-the-spot repairs by the Repair Café Foundation). https://www.wealddown.co.uk/events/springshow/ The South of England Spring Live Show – South of England Showground, Ardingly.  Sunday 5th May and Monday 6th May from 9am to 5pm - A quintessential English country fair brimming with activities and attractions for all ages. West Sussex Waste Prevention Advisors will be manning our information trailer on both days giving out advise on waste prevention and recycling. https://www.seas.org.uk/spring-live/ Scarecrow mini festival - Oving Village the hall, the Church and Madam Green Farm.  Saturday 11th May from 12 noon to 5pm - West Sussex Waste Prevention Advisors will be manning our information stand giving out advise on Waste prevention and recycling while showcasing a family of Scarecrows made from different reused materials. The event is open to residents, businesses and youth organisations. http://www.ovingscarecrows.org/

Sign up to the West Sussex recycles monthly newsletter Finally, we know that if you receive this email you are passionate about waste prevention and recycling. If you find these emails helpful, why not share it with a friend and get them to subscribe to the West Sussex recycles newsletter as well. Help us spread the message and get more people on board to make West Sussex a strong, safe and sustainable place to live.

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