Recycling centre rules

If you live in Greater Manchester (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside or Trafford) you can use any of our household waste recycling centres free of charge for recycling and waste from your home. If you live in Wigan or outside of Greater Manchester please visit your local council’s website.

If you are visiting in a van, hire van, pick-up truck or using a vehicle with a twin axle trailer, you will need a permit. Please note: You will need to apply for a permit account 2 working days before your first visit.

VAN PERMIT INFO

https://recycleforgreatermanchester.com/education-and-learning/site-tours-and-visits/longley-lane-r4gm-visitor-centre/

You can recycle Greater Manchester's food and garden waste together in your green bin using only compostable liners in your kitchen caddy. This waste is processed into compost, but remember to check your local council's specific guidance, as bin colors can vary across the region. Items like raw/cooked food scraps, meat bones, tea bags, grass cuttings, and twigs can be recycled, while items like soil, rubble, and plastic bags cannot. What you can recycle Food Waste: Raw or cooked food, including leftovers, fruit and vegetable peelings, meat and fish (including bones), egg shells, tea bags, and coffee grounds.Garden Waste: Grass cuttings, hedge clippings, twigs, leaves, and small branches (no thicker than your wrist or \(10\) cm in diameter).Other: Cut flowers and small pet bedding, like sawdust or straw.Important: Only use compostable liners in your kitchen caddy, not regular plastic or biodegradable bags. What you cannot recycle General waste: Rubble, soil, cat or dog waste, plant pots, wood, timber, or garden furniture.Incorrect items: Any non-compostable materials, like plastic packaging, should be removed before collection. How it works Your waste is collected and sent to an In-Vessel Composting (IVC) facility.It is shredded, and any metal is removed.The material is then placed in sealed bunkers where it is decomposed by microorganisms.The finished compost is used as a soil improver. Important things to remember Check your local council's website: Bin colors for food and garden waste can differ depending on your borough (e.g., green for Bolton, Stockport, and Manchester; brown for Bury and Tameside).Use the correct liners: Only use compostable liners in your kitchen caddy. These can be purchased from supermarkets or ordered from your local council.Reduce waste: To minimize food waste, visit Recycle for Greater Manchester's "Buy. Keep. Eat. Repeat." section for tips. Garden waste | Recycle for Greater ManchesterGarden waste | Recycle for Greater Manchester. Search site here. Garden waste. What happens to food and garden waste? All local co...Recycle for Greater ManchesterCooked and uncooked food - Recycle for Greater ManchesterCooked and uncooked food can be recycled in your food and garden bin at home. Food waste can't be recycled at any of the 20 recycl...Recycle for Greater ManchesterGreen bins, containers and boxes - Manchester City CouncilBins, rubbish and recycling See which recycling bin to use. Blue bins, bags and containers. Brown bins and containers. Green bins,Manchester City CouncilWhat you can put in your bins - Stockport Council19 Nov 2025 — Compostable vs biodegradable. Use compostable food waste liners in your food caddy. Do not use biodegradable plastic ba...Stockport CouncilWhat happens to my food and garden waste in Greater ...23 Jun 2022 — did you know that every year in Greater Manchester. we collect about 223,000 tons of food and garden waste we can recyc...YouTube·Recycle for Greater Manchester2mBuy. Keep. Eat. Repeat. - Recycle for Greater ManchesterDon't separate bananas before eating wrap the stems of the bananas in clingfilm when you first buy them, and only snap one off whe...Recycle for Greater ManchesterWhat happens to my food and garden waste in Greater ...23 Jun 2022 — did you know that every year in greater manchester. we collect about 223 000 tons of food and garden waste. that sounds...YouTube·Recycle for Greater Manchester53sGarden waste | Recycle for Greater ManchesterGarden waste | Recycle for Greater Manchester. Search site here. Garden waste. What happens to food and garden waste? All local co...Recycle for Greater ManchesterCooked and uncooked food - Recycle for Greater ManchesterCooked and uncooked food can be recycled in your food and garden bin at home. Food waste can't be recycled at any of the 20 recycl...Recycle for Greater ManchesterGreen bins, containers and boxes - Manchester City CouncilBins, rubbish and recycling See which recycling bin to use. Blue bins, bags and containers. Brown bins and containers. Green bins,Manchester City Council

In Greater Manchester, you can recycle mixed cardboard and paper byplacing clean paper, card, and flattened cardboard boxes (including cereal boxes, toilet roll tubes, and greeting cards without glitter) in your dedicated paper and card bin. Ensure all non-paper items like plastic packaging and bubble wrap are removed first. Drinks cartons, once rinsed, can also be included with paper and card recycling.

What to recycle:

• Cardboard boxes (flattened to save space)
• Paper (newspaper, magazines, junk mail, envelopes)
• Shredded paper (in a paper bag or tied up)
• Greeting cards and wrapping paper (if they don't have glitter or foil)
• Cardboard packaging (like cereal boxes, egg boxes, and ready meal sleeves)
• Toilet and kitchen roll tubes

• Empty drinks cartons (Tetra Pak)

What not to recycle:

• Any non-paper items:Remove plastic packaging, bubble wrap, polystyrene, and clothes tags and put them in your general waste bin.
• Glitter and foil:These contaminate the recycling process, so remove them from wrapping paper before recycling.
• Dirty or contaminated items:Items like dirty nappies or wet wipes should always go in your general waste bin.

Tips for successful recycling:

• Flatten boxes:This saves space in your bin.
• Keep it dry:Make sure your bin lid is fully closed to prevent rain from getting in.
• Empty and rinse cartons:Give food and drink cartons a quick rinse before placing them in the bin.
• Remove all other items:Make sure no other items are mixed in with your paper and card, as this can contaminate the whole batch.
• Use a recycling centre:You can also take large amounts of cardboard to one of the 20 household waste recycling centres across Greater Manchester.

Yes, you can recycle mixed cans, glass bottles and jars, and plastic trays in your mixed recycling bin in Greater Manchester. This includes food tins, drink cans, plastic bottles, plastic pots, tubs, and trays (like fruit punnets). Remember to rinse them and remove any loose plastic lids from bottles before recycling, and put them in your bin alongside items like foil and aerosols.

What goes in your mixed recycling bin

• Plastic bottles:Milk, pop, shampoo, cleaning products, trigger sprays
• Plastic pots, tubs, and trays:Yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, fruit and veg punnets, meat trays
• Glass bottles and jars:Any colour, with or without labels
• Cans:Food tins and drinks cans
• Aerosols:Empty and preferably without their plastic lids
• Foil:Including foil trays

What to do with other items

• Plastic lids:Remove any loose lids from bottles or pots and put them in your general waste bin. If the lid is attached, you can often leave it on.
• Plastic films:Do not put crisp packets, bread bags, or carrier bags in your recycling. Put them in your grey non-recyclable waste bin.
• Large hard plastics:Items like garden furniture or toys can be taken to a local Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Before you recycle

• Rinse items:Rinse out containers to remove food residue, as old food can damage sorting equipment.
• Dry items:Ensure items are dry before putting them in the bin.
• Remove loose lids:Separate loose lids from bottles and place them in your general waste bin.

For Greater Manchester,general waste can go into your standard bin, and items like soft plastics, nappies, and food/drink pouches are often included in non-recyclable waste. You can take most general waste, along with a wide range of other household waste, to any of the region's household waste recycling centres for free if you live in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, or Trafford. Wigan residents should use Wigan's own recycling centres.

Where to put general waste

• Household general waste bin:Most household waste that is not recyclable goes in your standard bin.
• Items included in general waste:Examples include soft plastic packaging, plastic bags, polystyrene, food and drink pouches, plant pots, pet waste, cotton wool and make up pads, nappies, sanitary products, tissues, used paper towels, wet wipes, and wallpaper.
• Why it's important:This non-recyclable waste is often used to create electricity, so it's diverted from landfills.

What to do with other items

• Recycling centres:You can take a wide variety of household waste, including DIY and garden waste, to the recycling centres across Greater Manchester for free, provided you live in one of the participating boroughs.
• Check what you can recycle:The Recycle for Greater Manchester website has an A-Z guide to help you determine how to dispose of specific items, notesBolton CouncilandRecycle for Greater Manchester.
• Items needing special disposal:Some items, like fluorescent tubes, contain hazardous materials and shouldneverbe put in your general waste or recycling bin. They need to be taken to a recycling centre for proper disposal.

Important notes

• Permits for vans:If you are visiting a recycling centre with a van, hire van, pick-up truck, or a twin-axle trailer, you will need to get a free permit in advance.
• Wigan residents:If you live in Wigan, you should use the recycling centres managed by Wigan council, as Wigan is not part of theRecycle for Greater Manchesterpartnership.

Businesses cannot usehousehold waste recycling centresfor trade waste; they must arrange for its disposal through a licensed commercial waste carrier. Trade waste includes any waste from commercial activity, not just household waste, and businesses are legally required to dispose of it properly. Options for businesses include using private waste transfer stations or contracting a company that handles commercial waste, which may include recycling services.

Disposal for businesses

• Use licensed waste carriers:Businesses must contract with a licensed waste management company to handle their commercial and trade waste.
• No Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs):Household recycling centres are exclusively for residents' household waste and do not accept trade waste. Businesses caught using these centres can face penalties.
• Legal obligation:Businesses have a legal responsibility under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to ensure their waste is disposed of at permitted facilities for a reasonable charge.

• Transfer stations:Businesses can use private waste transfer stations operated by companies like SUEZ for disposal, but this is not a free service.

What is considered trade waste?

• Waste from any commercial activity, such as a shop, office, or warehouse.
• Waste from tradespeople, like builders, who are carrying out work for a customer.
• Waste from a rented property that is not a tenant's normal household waste, such as from a holiday let.

What are the consequences for illegal dumping?

• Fines:Businesses can be fined for disposing of trade waste illegally.
• Legal action:The authorities can take action against businesses that fail to comply with waste disposal laws.
• Duty of Care:Businesses must comply with the "Duty of Care" requirements for waste, meaning they must ensure it is handled responsibly and legally throughout its journey.

Greater Manchester has20 household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) that accept waste from residents in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford. These centres are free to use for residents, are open daily (except Christmas Day and New Year's Day), and have improved their recycling rates in recent years. Some HWRCs also feature "Renew" shops where you can buy pre-loved items.

Key information

• Who can use them:Residents of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford.
• Opening hours:Daily, 8am-6pm during winter and 8am-8pm during British Summer Time, with closures on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• What can be recycled:A wide range of household waste, including items like mattresses, carpets, vapes, and hard plastics. You can also donate items for reuse at some locations.
• Business waste:These centres are only for household waste, not for business or trade waste.

• Special items:Car batteries and fluorescent tubes can be recycled at the centres.

• Van/trailer permit:A permit is required for vans and twin-axle trailers.

How to find your local centre

• Check theRecycle for Greater Manchester websitefor a full list of centres.
• Some councils also have details on their own websites, such asTrafford CouncilandSalford City Council.

Tips for visiting

• Separate your waste and recycling beforehand to make the process quicker.
• If you have a car battery, inform staff upon arrival so they can direct you to the correct drop-off point.