We thought we would pay a visit to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) where all the mixed recycling from all the houses in Greater Manchester gets sorted. However mixed in with all the right recycling, we uncovered a few wrong (and weird) things too…
Around 300,000 tonnes of stuff from your mixed recycling bins is delivered to the MRF every day!
There should only be:
However, there are some over-zealous recyclers or bin misusers in Greater Manchester who put the wrong stuff in the wrong bin. This means that not everything that arrives at the MRF can be recycled.
These are just some of the items we picked out today at the MRF’s arrival hall where everything gets tipped out from the collection vehicles.
LaptopElectronics of any type, small or large, can’t go in any of your bins at home. Take them to your Recycling Centre – or why not try repairing them? Stitched Up run Manchester Repair Café every month.
Yes, it’s made of plastic, but it can’t be recycled in your mixed recycling bin. In Greater Manchester, you can only recycle plastic bottles. Find out why here.
If you have any other plastic, put it in your general waste bin. Or perhaps that baby bath seat could have gone to a charity shop!
These poor toys have seen better days but they don’t belong in the mixed recycling bin. If they were in good condition, they could have been donated or otherwise they should’ve gone in the general waste bin.
Here’s a bag, pillow and a t-shirt – no textiles should go in any of your bins at home. Clothes and textiles can go to a charity shop, or if they are too worn or torn they can go to the Recycling Centre. Things like pillows and duvets can also be donated to dogs homes.
Pots, pans and other kitchenware, whether metal or plastic, can’t go in your mixed recycling bin. Put them in your general waste bin. Or take them to the Recycling Centre they can go in with scrap metal.
We also found this item… this was a bit of a head-scratcher, we had no idea what it was. After much deliberation, we found an opening and inside were the instructions! It’s an ice-cream ball! (Yes, you read that right)
In all seriousness, contamination is a big issue. If any of the items above get into the MRF, it can cause blockages and even damage the equipment. It also affects the quality of the recycling that is sent for reprocessing.
So remember, in Greater Manchester, the only things you can put in your mixed recycling bin are:
For more information, visit the What do I do with…? page.
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