Local Locations for TerraCycle® recycling single use plastics by Rob Fryatt (first published in West Sussex County Times)

Rob Fryatt

Local Locations for TerraCycle® recycling single use plastics

“The bins are ready and labelled.  All bags (canvas for mixed recycling and large 300 litre black sacks for the crisps and snacks) are ready to go. I’ll bring them down on my way to The Horsham and Shipley Community Project to save an extra car journey.”

Thus sayeth the Womble.

Across the district, the Sussex Green Living partnership with TerraCycle®   continues to increase local recycling points in the villages.  Crisp packets, biscuit wrappers, toothbrushes, baby food, popcorn bags, disinfectant trigger pumps, pens and more are recycled to produce a wide range of products from park benches and road side bollards to children’s playground equipment.

Established collection locations exist now in Amberley, Billingshurst, Barns Green, Cowfold, Horsham, Mannings Heath, Pulborough, Rudgwick, Slinfold, Southwater, Steyning, Storrington, Thakeham and Warnham!

The new collection point for Cowfold has been established outside St Peter’s Primary School and is accessible 24/7. The first location in Southwater is outside the Church Room of Southwater Parish Church in Church Lane. A second Southwater location is planned within the next few weeks and the local scout groups are primed and looking forward to playing their part. In Storrington the new location is in the car park of Chanctonbury Leisure Centre. All three locations have recycling bins for crisp and snack packets and for mixed single use plastics.

The scheme is also growing through innovative thinking such as in Amberley, where on “Recycling Fridays”, recycling is left in special bins in the village bus shelter.  At Rudgwick, the existing recycling bins (outside the Youth Centre on King George V Playing Fields) have now been augmented by three bins at Rudgwick Primary School and the school has purchased a bench made from TerraCycle material so the children can really see that they and their families are making a difference.

It is encouraging too that many national retail chains are increasing the range of recycling options they offer.  For example, the Co-Op shop on Guildford Road, Horsham, is now collecting any type of soft plastics such as bread bags and cheese wrappers as a trial.

At SussexGreenLiving.co.uk there are details of locations and  products collected at each site. If you’d like to join our growing band of volunteer Wombles who manage the scheme, we’d love to chat with you about your ideas.

Why not drop into the friendly Sussex Green Hub at the United Reformed Church in Springfield Road Horsham on Saturday November 27th where the Wombles team will be available to help.  There will be refills, repairs… and cake! Learn more about 27th November and 18th December Sussex Green Hub events here.