Apology for delay in food waste service rollout

Residents in Mid Sussex, including Teresa Kane who supports the scheme, have been giving their views on the council's new food waste collection service

With the rollout of weekly food waste collections across 72,000 homes in Mid Sussex, how has the scheme been received so far?

The project was called "one of the largest" projects Mid Sussex District Council (MSDC) had ever tackled when it began its rollout on 3 November.

Views have been mixed across the district, with some heralding it a success – while others say they are still waiting for a food waste bin.

MSDC apologised and said it had "acted quickly with remedial deliveries".

The rollout is being called "1-2-3 waste collection" which means food waste is collected every week, recycling every second week and general waste on the third week.

Roger Dayton, from Balcombe, said: "I think the idea has been good, but I think the rollout hasn't been.

"They delivered bins but for some reason missed me and my neighbour. I filled out their online form twice to say we haven't had it, then I filled out a complaint.

"Perhaps they shouldn't have rolled it out until everyone had their bins, I don't think it's just myself [who's had problems]."

Mr Dayton said his food bin finally arrived on 20 November.

The new waste lorries for food collections

The idea of the scheme is to reduce how much general waste is sent to landfill because it is contaminated with food, while food waste will be converted into energy and turned into fertiliser for crops.

Residents in East Grinstead had mixed views on the rollout.

"It's quite hard, I only have two boys. Sometimes the general waste is overflowing and you have to squish it down," said Teresa Kane, who supported the scheme.

Ceri Evans said: "We're finding it easy enough to follow, I have no problems. We were part of the trial last year, it's working well."

An anaerobic digester which is used to process the food waste

Rita Jenner said: "I'm all for it, it might mean we have to do more things ourselves. My waste is quite minimal, but it's families [that will find it harder]."

MSDC said 285 tonnes of food waste – or 20 tonnes a day – have been collected so far.

A spokesperson said: "Thanks to residents' engagement, thousands of tonnes will now be processed via anaerobic digestion to generate energy or produce fertiliser.

"While most households received bins and caddies before rollout, a small number of deliveries by our waste partners were delayed. We acted quickly with remedial deliveries, including weekends, and are prioritising those who notified us first.

"We apologise for any inconvenience. Missing bins and missed collections can be reported via our website or customer services. Replacement bins are being delivered as soon as possible."