Did you know? Simpler Recycling explained – your top questions answered
Simpler Recycling is already in place in many councils across the country, and it's proving highly successful. Residents elsewhere are recycling more, throwing away less, and seeing fewer problems with smells thanks to weekly food waste collections.
These changes are being rolled out across the country as part of central government's plans, and Arun is now joining the many councils already seeing the benefits.
The aim is simple - reduce household waste, recycle more, and turn food waste into something useful - for us, clean biofuel to power the anaerobic digestion plant in Horsham and biofertilizer to help local farmers.
As we all get used to the new system, smaller bins will soon feel completely normal, and everything will settle into place.
Here are some answers to some frequently asked questions …
Why are general waste bin collections changing to every two weeks?
The government's new Simpler Recycling scheme will make recycling easier and more consistent across England. In Arun, around 40% of what goes in general waste is food waste, and another 13% could be recycled in your blue‑lidded green recycling bin.
With weekly food waste collections starting, households will have far less in their general waste bin - and it will be less smelly. This means it won't need to be collected as often. To support this, we're delivering new 180‑litre general waste bins for the fortnightly service.
What should I do with my old 240‑litre bin?
Once you have your new 180‑litre bin, you can repurpose your old one (for tools, wood storage, etc.) or we can collect and recycle it for you.
If you already use a 180‑litre or smaller bin, you may opt out of receiving a new one.
Can I keep my 240‑litre bin instead?
No - once the new service starts, 240‑litre bins won't be collected.
If you have a large household (five or more people), you'll be able to apply for extra capacity, which would be an additional 180‑litre bin. More details will follow before the service begins in April.
What about people living in flats?
Don't worry if you live in a flat or communal property, we are making arrangements for your collections based on the individual circumstances of your property and will be in touch before the scheme begins in April 2026.
What about my dog waste and cat litter, won't it start to smell after two weeks?
If you have cat litter, dog/pet waste at home, you should double bag it, tie it tightly and then it can be placed in your general waste bin with the bin lid shut. This will help minimise the risk of smells. Biodegradable dog waste bags are available from some retailers and provide a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic bags, but they should still be placed in your general waste bin.
Options for alternative disposal methods include the use of pet/food waste digesters and wormeries, for example visit Reduce your waste - West Sussex County Council
When will the food waste caddies and bins be delivered?
External food waste bins and internal food waste caddies with a starter roll of liners will be delivered from March ahead of the changes to collection services from 13 April. The external food waste bin has a handle which prevents the bin from being opened by animals.
Why are you introducing food waste collections?
From April 2026, all councils in England must collect food waste weekly under the Environment Act 2021.
Food waste makes up a large proportion of what we currently throw away, and separating it means it can be turned into energy and biofertiliser instead of going to landfill or incineration.
What if I don't have room for both bins/caddies indoors?
If necessary, you can just use the outside caddy. The kitchen caddy is only five litres and is designed to be kept on a kitchen work surface, windowsill or in a cupboard or under the sink. However, if you don't want to use the small kitchen caddy, simply empty your food waste directly into the larger 23 litre food waste bin which you can keep outside. You could also use your own smaller container to keep food waste in the kitchen before transferring to the outside caddy.
Where does the food waste go?
Food waste collected from across the whole of West Sussex, including Arun, will be taken to a transfer station, where it will be compacted into larger volumes and then transported in bulk to the anaerobic digestion plant in Horsham, which is run on behalf of West Sussex County Council. There it will be recycled via anaerobic digestion into biofertiliser and energy. The biofertiliser will be used as fertiliser for farmers' fields and the energy will power the plant, with any excess exported to the national grid to be used in homes.
Will food waste bins attract vermin or foxes?
The grey and orange outdoor food waste bins are fitted with an opening and closing handle. Once this has been closed it prevents pests and vermin from opening the containers. Using your lockable food recycling bin for any food waste and putting it out for collection every week, will help avoid smells and therefore should not attract foxes and vermin.
You can wrap any potentially smelly food waste in newspaper or compostable liners before putting it in the outdoor food waste bin.
How do I use the weekly food waste collection?
Store your grey caddy in a convenient place in your kitchen and place your cooked and uncooked food waste into the caddy, instead of your kitchen bin. Whenever you need to empty your caddy, tip the contents into your grey and orange outdoor bin or communal food waste bin, if you live in a flat.
Present your grey and orange outdoor bin at the boundary of your property by 7am every week on your collection day. Try not to tuck the food waste bin behind your other bins and make sure it is visible, so our collection crews can easily see it. If you live in a flat the food waste bins in your communal bin area will be emptied every week.
What if I already compost at home?
Composting at home is a great way to recycle your food waste but not all food waste can be disposed of in this way. If you compost at home, you can use the food recycling bin provided to you for meat bones, cooked food and dairy products, all of which isn't recommended for composting at home.
Keep an eye out for further updates and don't forget to download our free mobile app to get council information at your fingertips and to receive notifications on all the new bin collections coming soon.
Thank you for your support as we roll this out.