Neil, the council’s Community Recycling Engagement Officer, alongside other members of the team, has been meeting residents in and around Eastbourne including at Airbourne, to provide guidance on the best ways to recycle household items and answer questions about local recycling services.

The team has also been offering information and support on the council’s relatively new food waste recycling scheme, helping residents understand how the service works, what can be recycled, and the benefits of separating food waste from general household rubbish.

To find out more about the food waste recycling scheme visit: lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk/foodwaste

Beat the summer heat: Keep your bins fresh and fly-free ​

Warm weather can accelerate food decomposition in our household bins. This creates damp, unpleasant odours that attract flies. Fortunately, a few simple steps can help keep your bins clean and fly-free all season long. ​

Wrap food scraps securely: Use compostable food waste caddy liners and securely tie them before emptying into your food waste bin. If you’re running low on caddy liners, extra rolls of liners are available free of charge from the following locations (please check opening times): Eastbourne Borough Council 1 Grove Road, Willingdon Trees Community Centre, Langney Community Centre, and Community Wise Community Centre.

Try the freezer hack: Freeze smellier food scraps in a sealed container until the morning of your bin collection. ​

Neutralise odours: Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda at the base to absorb dampness, or mist the inside with white vinegar as a natural fly deterrent. ​

Wheelie bin maintenance: ​If possible, keep your bins in the shade to prevent heat build-up. If you notice maggots, pour boiling water directly over them for instant removal. Alternatively, a generous dusting of table salt or a splash of malt vinegar will quickly resolve the issue. ​​Use botanical oils like citronella, peppermint, or tea tree oil around the lid rim to naturally repel insects. ​

Give your bin a post-collection clean down ​once emptied, wash your bin with hot, soapy water. Pour wastewater down a foul water drain (not a surface storm drain) and allow the bin to dry completely before its next use. ​

Thank you for helping to keep our community clean and hygienic this summer.

Environment First’s waste barrow takes inspiration from a true Airbourne pioneer

Visitors to Airbourne this year may have spotted our green waste barrow carrying a familiar face from Eastbourne’s rich aviation history, the remarkable Dolly Shepherd.

Born in 1886, Elizabeth “Dolly” Shepherd became one of Britain’s most daring early aviation performers at a time when women were rarely encouraged to pursue such adventures. By the age of 18, she was making breathtaking parachute descents from gas balloons at heights of up to 4,000 feet, often with little more than a trapeze bar separating her from the open sky.

Dolly’s bravery was not limited to entertaining crowds. In 1908, she famously helped save fellow parachutist Louie May when her parachute malfunctioned. The pair descended under a single canopy and survived a heavy landing that left Dolly seriously injured.

During the First World War, she served as a driver and mechanic in France once she carried a live shell in the boot of a car until it could be detonated.

She never lost her passion for aviation and in her nineties she flew with the Red Devils.

Eastbourne Herald said of Dolly, she was ‘one of the most intrepid, charming and colourful characters ever to have lived in Eastbourne’. She has a bench dedicated to her opposite the Grand Hotel. The dedication reads: In Loving Memory Of  Elizabeth Sedgwick (1886 – 1983) Dolly Shepherd Pioneer Aeronaut/Balloonist 1904-1912.

Featuring Dolly on our green waste barrows at Airbourne is a fitting tribute to a woman who broke barriers, inspired generations and embodied the spirit of adventure that continues to define Eastbourne’s famous airshow.

You can watch a video all about it.

Recyling batteries and vapes

Did you know that batteries and vapes are one of the leading causes of fires in the waste and recycling industry? When these items are thrown into household bins, they can become damaged, overheat, and start dangerous fires in collection vehicles, recycling facilities, and waste sites.

Anglo Doorstep Collections

Anglo Doorstep Collections offers a free household collection service across East Sussex. Operating in partnership with local councils, the service allows residents to clear out unwanted, reusable items directly from their homes. ​

How it works:

• Book online: Schedule a pick-up slot via the Anglo Doorstep Collections website.
• Pack Your Items: Place donations into clean bags or sturdy cardboard boxes. (See list below)
• Leave Outside: On the morning of your scheduled date, place the bags/boxes on your doorstep, near your gate, or in a safe place outside. You do not need to be at home when the driver arrives.
• Collection and recycling: Drivers pick up the items and your items are recycled or reused.  ​

What can be donated? ​

Items should be clean, dry, and in good reusable condition.

• ​Clothing and footwear: Clothes, coats, and paired shoes.
• Textiles: Clean bed linen, towels, and curtains.  ​Books and media: Books, CDs, DVDs, and console games in their original cases.
• Toys and accessories: Children’s toys, puzzles, handbags, belts, and jewellery.
• Small household items and electricals: Kitchenware, glassware, cutlery, small tools, laptops, and small electrical appliances.  ​

As well as reducing items going to waste by recycling or rehoming them, the Anglo Doorstep Collection service donates a portion of the proceeds to partnered charities of your choice.

Find out more and book a collection: anglodoorstepcollections.co.uk/eastbourne-borough-council

Keeping our streets clean and welcoming

We love seeing our community take pride in our local area by using public litter bins. These bins play an important role in helping to keep our streets clean and tidy.

However, we are currently seeing an increase in street bins being filled with household rubbish bags and commercial waste. Sometimes referred to as “fly-tipping by stealth”, using street bins for personal or business waste causes significant issues for everyone.

Public bins are designed for small, on-the-go waste like coffee cups, food wrappers, and dog waste. When public bins are misused for household or trade rubbish they overflow rapidly, leaving no room for everyday litter. ​ ​

How You Can Help:

• Report commercial waste dumping or fly tipping on our website
• If you have extra waste or oversized items that will not fit in your home bins, please take them to your local Household Waste Recycling Centre or visit our website to arrange a bulky waste collection. ​

Thank you for helping to keep our shared public spaces clean, safe and welcoming for everyone.

Airbourne: a huge thank you to our clean-up heroes

A huge thank you to all our volunteers and the Environment First team for their hard work keeping Eastbourne looking its best throughout this year’s Airbourne event.

From early-morning beach cleans to litter-picking throughout the weekend, your efforts made a real difference to residents, visitors and everyone enjoying the seafront.

Special thanks go to the Coda Pharmacy volunteers for their fantastic litter-picking support, and to the McDonald’s team, who once again arrived at 7am to clear the beach from the Wish Tower to Splash Point.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who went above and beyond to keep our seafront clean, welcoming and enjoyable.

Thank you for making such a positive difference!