What goes in your household bins
In this section
Recycling bin
Your blue-top bin is for recyclable waste. All recycling must be clean, loose and dry in your bin. Below is a list of the most common items that you can put in your blue-top recycling bin.
- For more detailed information on specific products, please use West Sussex County Council's Recycling A-Z
- Looking for a handy reminder of what you can recycle? Order a free information sticker for your bin.
If you are looking to reduce your plastic waste read our Top Tips here.
Paper and card
Yes please
Newspapers and magazines, office paper, food packaging sleeves, greeting cards, egg and cereal boxes, catalogues and brochures, wrapping paper and envelopes.
No thanks
Shredded paper, metallic wrapping paper and paper towels.
Metal cans and aerosols
Yes please
Food cans, drink cans, pet food cans, empty aerosol cans e.g. hairspray and paint.
No thanks
Paint tins, saucepans, electrical items, garden tools, utensils, gas canisters and batteries.
Plastic bottles and containers
Yes please
All plastic bottles, all plastic pots e.g. yoghurt, all plastic tubes e.g. ice cream, all plastic food trays e.g. food and meat, all plastic lids e.g. container and jar lids. Plastic bottle tops including trigger sprays, Tetra Pak, carton and milk bottle lids as long as they are attached to squashed empty bottles.
No thanks
Plastic films, plastic bags, crisp packets and wrappers, polystyrene, plastic toys or garden plastics.
Aluminium foil and foil containers
Yes please
Aluminium foil and aluminium foil containers.
No thanks
Crisp packets, cat food pouches, soup pouches, dirty foil and foil wrapping paper
Cartons
Yes please
Fruit juice cartons, long life milk cartons, soup cartons, smoothie cartons and other cardboard cartons.
No thanks
Crisp packets, cat food pouches and soup pouches.
Glass bottles and jars
Yes please
Coffee jars, wine bottles, beer bottles, jam jars and sauce bottles/jars.
No thanks
Mirror or window glass, Pyrex, drinking glasses, milk bottles, ceramics, crockery, glass vases, paperweights and spectacles (as these have different chemical properties)
What to do with items you cannot put in your recycling bin
We want to help you recycle as much waste as possible. Here's how to responsibly dispose of items that you cannot put in your recycling bin.
Batteries, electricals and e-cigarettes
Do not put batteries or small electricals such as mobile phones and e-cigarettes, into your household waste bin.
- Use our free batteries recycling service to recycle your batteries from home
- Book a free small electricals recycling collection for devices like mobile phones, e-cigarettes and laptops
Plastic bags
We cannot recycle plastic bags, or accept recycled items that are tied up in plastic bags. Check your local supermarket to see if it has a plastic bag recycling scheme. Recyclenow
Soft plastics
Many supermarkets now take single use soft plastics for recycling, including chocolate bar wrappers, empty crisp packets, bread bags, and other plastic bags and wrapping. Take your plastic bags and wrapping back to the store - Repeat the Cycle!
Recycle Now have a Recycling Locator tool on their website to help you find your nearest participating stores.
Find your nearest participating supermarket
Hard plastics
Hard plastics such as plastic toys, garden furniture and plant pots cannot be recycled in your blue-top bin however they can be recycled at a Recycling Centre
Food pouches and crisp packets
Check to see if there is a community recycling scheme near you that will recycle these.
Food waste
We do not currently recycle food waste, but peelings and eggshells can be composted. Get a discounted compost bin
Large items
Book a large item collection, or take your item to the Recycling Centre
Hazardous waste
Including fire extinguishers, asbestos and electrical items. Take these to a Recycling Centre