Recycling changes FAQs

You no longer need to separate glass from the rest of your recycling, it must be put in your green recycling bin or pink sack. No replacement glass recycling boxes will be issued.

There's no need to separate glass anymore. You can put glass straight into your pink sacks or recycling bins. That is now the normal way for it to be collected.

We will not be collecting your black box.

We have a list of ideas for how to re-use your box. If you do not wish to keep the box, please dispose of it at your local tip (Hastings Household Waste Recycling Site).

There is now machinery in place to separate glass at the recycling centre, and working with our new contractor Biffa has meant we can make the service easier for residents to use.

There are currently no plans to bring in food waste collections.

No. There won't be more frequent collections but you can flatten boxes and rinse and squash plastic bottles before placing them in your recycling bin to help increase capacity. If you have extra recycling put it in non-black bags e.g. a clear bin liner, next to your bin.

Food and Drinks Cartons (such as Tetra Pak) can no longer be put into your recycling bin or pink sack. They should instead be placed in your black rubbish bin or bag and will be used to make electricity at the Energy Recovery Facility in Newhaven.

This is because cartons (such as Tetra Pak) are comprised of 6 layers of material (including 2 types of plastic) which need to be separated making it costly and inefficient to recycle them.

They are now treated as a containment which can cause whole recycling loads to be rejected.

Until such time that more efficient and economic methods of recycling cartons are available, we're keen to preserve the quality of the recycling we're collecting from local residents.

We will not be changing collection days from 1 July. You will be notified if there are any changes to your collection days in the future. Check your collection days.

We are part of a waste partnership with Wealden and Rother District Councils. The councils undertook a robust and comprehensive procurement, evaluation and selection exercise which comprised several stages, in line with procurement rules.

During the process bids were put forward by a number of contractors and each one was carefully scrutinised by the councils to ensure a quality, efficient service and value for money. Unfortunately, costs have risen in the waste and recycling industry in recent years, but we are satisfied that this contract is in line with contracts that were procured by other councils during 2018.

Yes, the next delivery of pink sacks to your property will be a thicker type of bag.

Please make sure you mix glass with all other cycling in the sacks to ensure it is evenly spread between sacks.