Both Mid Sussex tips switch to 9am to 4pm on 1 October and need a booked slot. East Grinstead shuts Tuesdays and Wednesdays; all close 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan.
Mid Sussex has two household recycling centres, at Burgess Hill and East Grinstead. Both are run by West Sussex County Council, both need a booked slot if you arrive by car, and both move to shorter hours, 9am to 4pm, from 1 October to 31 March. East Grinstead is closed every Tuesday and Wednesday.
The quick answer
- Book first. “You must book a slot before visiting this site,” for both centres. Slots open up to 14 days ahead, or on the day if there is space.
- Winter hours from 1 October: 9am to 4pm. Last winter Burgess Hill also closed on Thursdays; its page now lists seven days.
- Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, every centre in the county, last winter.
Opening times
| Burgess Hill | East Grinstead | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | Fairbridge Way, Burgess Hill, RH15 8AR | High Grove, Imberhorne Lane, East Grinstead, RH19 1TZ |
| Phone | 01444 243041 | 01342 323967 |
| Summer, 1 April to 30 September | Every day, 9am to 6pm | 9am to 6pm; closed Tuesday and Wednesday |
| Winter, 1 October to 31 March | 9am to 4pm (see below on Thursdays) | 9am to 4pm; closed Tuesday and Wednesday |
Sources: Burgess Hill Recycling Centre and East Grinstead Recycling Centre, West Sussex County Council.
Is Burgess Hill open on Thursdays this winter?
This is the one point to check before you go. The county council’s Burgess Hill page, read on 25 September 2026, gives autumn and winter hours of “Monday-Sunday, 9am-4pm”. But for winter 2025/26 the county announced that Burgess Hill would open “Monday to Wednesday, Friday to Sunday”, in other words closed on Thursdays, and it did the same in 2024/25. East Grinstead was “Monday, Thursday to Sunday” in both winters, which matches its page now. (West Sussex County Council, 2025/26 winter hours)
The county usually announces the winter days at the end of September. Until it does, the booking system is the reliable answer: if there are no Thursday slots at Burgess Hill, it is closed.
Christmas and New Year
Last winter the county said: “All centres will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.” In 2026 those are Friday 25 December, Saturday 26 December and Friday 1 January. East Grinstead’s regular Tuesday and Wednesday closure also applies over Christmas, so between Christmas and New Year it has only four opening days: Sunday 27, Monday 28, Thursday 31 December and Saturday 2 January would be the ones left if the usual pattern holds.
How booking works
- Book through the county’s Book to Recycle system, or call 01243 642106 if you are not online.
- Slots can be booked up to 14 days ahead, or on the same day when there is availability.
- If you no longer need it, cancel using the link in your confirmation email so the slot goes to someone else.
- You do not need to book on foot, by bicycle or on a mobility scooter.
(West Sussex County Council, recycling centres)
Vehicles, rubble and cross-border visitors
- Banned vehicles at both sites: Luton vans, horseboxes, twin-axle trailers, tipper, flatbed or drop-side trucks, and anything over 3.5 tonnes gross. Your vehicle must fit under the height barrier; the county charges for any damage to it.
- No permit is needed to use a recycling centre.
- Building rubble is limited to 200kg a visit, roughly a small car boot, a small domestic trailer or eight 25kg rubble bags. For more, the county suggests a skip.
- Business waste is refused. Staff can turn you away if they think it is trade waste.
- East Grinstead takes some Surrey and Kent residents: those in RH7 6, RH10 3, RH19 2, RH19 3, TN8 5, TN8 6 and TN8 7, with ID. They cannot bring a van, trailer or pick-up.
(Recycling centre terms and conditions)
Christmas trees
The tips are not the only option for a real tree. Last winter Mid Sussex District Council ran 24 free drop-off sites for two weeks from New Year; they are listed on our Christmas bin collections page along with the festive collection changes. For your normal collection day, see our bin collection days page.
What is still to be confirmed
- The county’s 2026/27 winter opening days, and whether Burgess Hill closes on Thursdays again. Expected around 1 October.
- Christmas 2026 closures, which last year were in the same announcement.
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