sussex today

We need a high quality environment in Sussex to:
• Provide the essentials for life, from clean water and air, to quality food and recreation.
• Improve living conditions, particularly in poor quality areas.
• Support our economy, inspiring us at work and providing an attractive and accessible setting for successful business.

We are however, placing increasing pressures on our environment. To address these we must all work together to protect our local surroundings and reduce our contribution to global problems.
• In the South East we produce over 4 million tonnes of waste each year. Although household recycling has more than doubled over the last 10 years, over 70% of our waste still goes to landfill.
• Each home uses an average of 165 litres of water a day, more than anywhere else in Britain in an area where there is the lowest rainfall.
• Road traffic is predicted to increase by more than a third over the next 20 years. Using public transport, cycling and walking can reduce environmental impact, yet over 70% of us still travel to work by car.

The people of Sussex want to look after the
environment and some of our businesses and residents are leading the way:
• Approximately 20,000 residents are members of the Sussex Wildlife Trust. This figure has doubled over the last 6 years.
• Around 40 Local Produce and Farmers' Markets are thriving in Sussex.
• Over 1,000 businesses a year take part in waste or energy reduction.