Waste Management in West Sussex

Waste Management in West Sussex.

Historically most of West Sussex’s household waste has been landfilled, as this has long been the cheapest and easiest way of disposing of it. However, European and national statutory targets now compel local authorities to find more environmentally-friendly alternatives to landfill.

In 2010/11, West Sussex households produced around 390,000 tonnes of rubbish.

Today, 44 per cent of West Sussex’s household rubbish is recycled and through Better Tomorrows, the County has in place a range of initiatives to reduce the amount of rubbish created in West Sussex.

However, a large proportion of the County’s rubbish is still sent to landfill. Yet by 2020, the County Council will only be allowed to landfill 130,000 tonnes of household waste a year and could be heavily fined if it exceeds this target.

Improvements in technology over recent decades have made it easier to extract valuable outputs from the rubbish that for many years has been sent straight to landfill. The higher the calorific value of waste, the more energy can generally be extracted from it, although the energy potential of waste depends upon factors such as the mix of materials contained within it and its moisture content. Nevertheless, if treated properly, ordinary household rubbish of the type currently sent to landfill can be used to create a number of alternatives to fossil fuels, which can be used to power homes, businesses, industry and even vehicles.