If you are replacing your mattress, you can take your old mattress to a recycling centre.
Mattresses are delivered to The Furniture Recycling Group in Bolton, where they are dismantled, ready to be recycled into something new.
1. Mattresses are collected from our recycling centres in Greater Manchester.
2. The mattresses are then delivered to the recycling facility.
3. Mattresses are dismantled by hand into 19 component parts.
This includes:
4. The separated materials are then cleaned ready for processing
5. The materials are made into new products such as:
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
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See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
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Did you know you could put yourself, our bin crews and recycling centre staff in danger if you dispose of batteries in any of your bins at home? Read on to find out how to dispose of and recycle batteries safely.
Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can cause fires in your home, bin lorries and recycling centres when they are punctured or crushed. They also contain hazardous materials which may endanger our operational staff if not disposed of correctly.
When recycling batteries, follow these simple steps to keep your home and our staff safe:
There are hidden batteries in many electrical items such as electric toothbrushes, toys, e-cigarettes, vapes, phones, laptops, and many more. You can recycle them by following the same steps above.
If you are unsure how to recycle an item, have a look at our A-Z item guide to help you recycle as much as you can and to dispose of your waste safely.
When next replacing batteries, why not buy rechargeable batteries instead? You can use them again and again, which will save you money and help you waste less.
If you’d like to find a new home for your electrical items, you could bring them to your local recycling centre (except for Chester Road and Reliance Street) and place them at the donation container which will then be brought to our Renew Hub.
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MORE
Home composting is using your kitchen waste and garden waste to make your own nutrient rich compost that you can use to help feed your flowers, plants and vegetables.
Home composting is a year round activity that won’t take up all of your time. To help you on your composting journey we have teamed up with Sow the City community group to provide our composting new starters and veterans some hints, tips, and expert information.
We’re really excited to be working with Sow the City. They’ve been doing community based environmental activities and learning across Greater Manchester for over 10 years. They’re also a wonderful bunch of people, passionate about composting and always eager to help people get started. So, if you’ve got composting questions or if you’re not sure you have enough space to compost, get ready to ask our experts.
To kickstart your composting journey or expand what you’re already doing at home we’re working with Get Composting to provide residents in Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford the opportunity to get a discounted price on the most popular compost and Bokashi bins. Our offer also includes free postage and packaging. Just put in your postcode and you’ll see all eligible discounts.
Did you know you can make leaf mould? All you need is a big plastic bag and some leaves.
Or if you grow vegetables, you can chop up the leaves and spread them over your garden, it will rot down over the winter and you just dig it in before planting next year.
By composting your garden and kitchen waste you are reducing the amount of waste going in your food and garden waste recycling bin. Composting at home provides a home for a range of mini-beasts and worms that turn your food and garden waste into compost.
Most composting systems should be in shade and away from the sun. Ground-based compost piles and bins should be placed on bare soil so that bugs and worms can get into your bin. A wormery can be placed in a shed to protect it from extreme weather conditions. Bokashi containers can be kept in the kitchen.
Visit the Compost Instructions website for a list of what you can and can’t add to your compost bin.
Yes, especially in rainy Greater Manchester! A cover stops it becoming waterlogged in winter and keeps moisture in during the summer. You can cover open compost piles with things like plastic, old carpet or plywood.
To begin with, the progress may seem slow but once you get going you will have a supply of compost all year round. This does depend on how you manage your compost and the type of composting system you use. Compost turned regularly can take between 6 months and 2 years to be ready. Composting is not a sprint it’s a marathon!
Compost doesn’t take much maintenance time at all! The only difference is that you are putting some of your food waste in your compost bin instead of your wheelie recycling bin. You just need to turn the compost once a week.
You don’t need garden or a lot of space to start composting. There are lot of different sizes and types of bins and containers – you can even make your very own!
There are two reasons why mice and rats may be attracted to compost. One is for food and the other is warmth. To stop this from happening, bury food waste in the compost and remember don’t put meat, fish, bones or dairy products in your compost. Place the bin on a surface rats and mice can’t burrow under, like thick wire mesh. Also turn or mix up the compost regularly, this will discourage any nesting.
A well-managed compost should not smell or be slimy, but if it does there a few of reasons why this may be happening:
Make sure your compost is covered, turn the compost and add some drier ’brown’ materials such as leaves, hedge cuttings or shredded plain paper or card and give it a good mix. Only put raw vegetable and fruit kitchen waste in your compost or consider a composting system specially designed to take all food waste such as a Bokashi bin.
Add more green waste such as veg peelings, grass cuttings.
It’s a fact that flies are attracted to rotting food. However, there are simple ways to avoid your compost attracting flies. Make sure you mix and bury your food waste within your compost. You can also add a layer of brown materials such as leaves, shredded paper, or sawdust on top of each time you add food waste. If you do get flies try leaving the lid off for a few hours on a sunny day, then place a layer of wet newspaper on top to create a barrier before you replace the lid.
Sometimes hedgehogs may find a home in your compost, it’s warm and full of worms! So when you decide to turn over your compost just check that it is a hedgehog-free first!
To find out how you can encourage wildlife into your garden, yard or window box download the My Wild Garden booklet
Keep in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Search #LetsCompostNow
Royal Horticultural Society composting advice
Wildlife Trust – How to compost your waste
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
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See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MOREIntraQuest were granted £10k from the Recycle for Greater Manchester Community Fund (2021 – 2022) to develop their No Time to Waste project.
IntraQuest aims to reduce social isolation, improve wellbeing and teach new skills in gardening, recycling and producing compost.
This project will be using their one-acre site to demonstrate how to create composting areas, including large amounts of recycled cardboard (as well as using vegetable waste and grass clippings) for food growing. Each participant will then be issued with their own small compost container, plus everything they need to use it within their own settings.
What have you achieved with the project so far?
We have now worked with 60 individual women, helping them to engage with the environment as well as each other throughout the workshops provided. They now know how to compost and use cardboard as a base for the ‘no dig’ method of gardening. It’s been wonderful to see their confidence develop!
How has it benefited your community?
It has been great to witness how the workshops have transformed how our community thinks about waste, and even more thrilling to see each participant using the skills within their own environment.
What has been your biggest success so far?
Passing on the passion for gardening and recycling.
Connecting community members to each other, some have even offered support in helping with other projects we have lined up.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
The organisation of the project has taken longer than we anticipated, and our systems needed fine tuning so that the process ran smoothly. We know more about what’s needed for the next four workshops!
What advice would you offer to anybody looking to apply next year?
Think through the project management side of things in detail – this can be tricky to do once the project begins!
Follow IntraQuest Community CIC on Facebook for the latest on their project!
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MOREFuture Directions were granted £18,500 from the Recycle for Greater Manchester Community Fund (2021 – 2022) to develop their Green Superheroes project.
What have you achieved with the project so far?
We have recruited a team of Green Superheroes, which has provided both paid and voluntary opportunities to people with learning disabilities and complex needs. The group have held art and craft workshops where we used waste materials to create Christmas decorations. We have an exciting timetable of sessions planned for 2022, including making recycled Valentine’s day decorations in February and planters and Spring wreaths in March.
We have also joined the Every Can Counts Campaign which is a not-for-profit communications programme aimed at raising awareness of the many benefits of recycling drink cans and making it easier for people to recycle their cans. We have placed can recycling boxes in venues across Greater Manchester and have acquired a Waste Carrier Licence so we can collect the cans and recycle them.
We are currently developing a training programme so we can deliver training to other organisations and people with learning disabilities to teach them about recycling and sustainability.
How has it benefited your community?
The Green Superheroes project has enabled us to engage with people with learning disabilities to enable them to think about recycling to help save resources and protect the environment. By holding art and craft workshops we have been able to do this in a fun and creative way, which has also enabled people to get together and engage in a positive activity and connect with others.
One of our workshops was held in a café where we were able to engage with members of the general public and promote the work we were doing. This has helped to showcase the abilities of people with learning disabilities and see them positively contributing towards society and the community in which they live.
What has been your biggest success so far?
In December we ran two art and craft workshops. We asked people to bring waste materials that they would typically throw away and we used them to create Christmas decoration. It was a huge success and was fantastic to see how creative people were in turning things that would have been thrown away into beautiful things. We received positive feedback from the events and people told us that they had made new friends and are looking forward to the next event.
What has been your biggest challenge so far?
Covid-19 has meant that we have had to restrict the number of people attending the workshops. We had a huge response to the fist sessions and are therefore planning on holding more sessions (but limiting the amount of people at each session) so we can continue to maintain socially distanced guidelines and keep people safe.
Covid-19 has also meant that we have had to work differently and at some points we have held zoom meetings instead of meeting in person.
What advice would you offer to anybody looking to apply next year?
Go for it! If you have an innovative idea that will help tackle waste prevention and promote recycling this is a fantastic opportunity to bring your ideas to life and make a positive difference.
Anything else you would like to add?
Thank you for supporting us with this grant. The Green Superheroes Project is an amazing project which has enabled us to work in co-production with people with learning disabilities to tell more people about recycling and create a positive change.
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MOREYour small actions can help create a healthy more sustainable place to live and being in the loop can even save you money. Reducing how much you buy, choosing more sustainable products or shopping pre-loved can lead to big savings.
The loop, AKA the circular economy, is about reducing waste. Recycling is a really important element of the loop. We need to get the full potential of materials before we destroy them and make something new from scratch. Repairing things and using things to the maximum is going to save you money.
This blog busts common myths around recycling and reuse.
My actions won’t make a difference – False
The average Greater Manchester resident throws away half a tonne of waste every year. We each also produce around 13 tonnes of C02 and greenhouse gasses each year, double the world average.
Only 48% of our waste is recycled, meaning we’re throwing away millions of tonnes of recyclable things every year. This wastes resources and means having to spend huge amounts of energy re-mining for materials we could have reused, further eating into dwindling natural resources.
Running out of resources isn’t something I need to worry about in my lifetime – False
If we continue as we are, fossil fuels could run out by 2060. Lithium, the element used in batteries could be totally used up in 17 years. Electric vehicles are a fantastic way to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used, but lithium is a vital component in electric vehicle batteries.
If the UK recycled all of the single use vapes we currently throw away, in 1 year we’d have enough lithium for 1200 electric vehicle batteries.
Reusable products are more expensive – False
Read our blog on how sustainable swaps can save your family £1670 a year here.
Sustainable and reusable products are built to last. They are slightly more expensive due to the quality, but when you factor only having to pay once instead of every week, the savings quickly add up. If you switched to reusable kitchen roll, you could save £245 in a year. As well as benefiting your pocket, you’re helping to reduce the amount of rubbish we produce and reduce the amount of materials taken from the earth.
A recycling symbol on packaging automatically means I can recycle it – False
There are loads of different versions of recycling symbols on packaging and it can be confusing.
This is the most common symbol you’ll see and it’s designed to encourage people to recycle. However, each local authority recycles differently, so it’s important to check www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com/what-do-i-do-with/ if you can put the packaging into your household recycling bins, if it needs to be taken to the recycling centre, or if it needs to go in general waste.
The Green Dot shows the company making the packaging has paid money towards a recycling scheme. It doesn’t mean that the packaging can be recycled or is made from recycled materials.
This symbol is found on electrical items and shows that they can’t be put into your general waste bin. Electrical items need to be disposed of at your local recycling centre so the precious metals inside can be reused. You can also check if you can return electricals to the store you bought it from for recycling. Electrical waste causes fires and by not recycling, we lose precious resources that could have been turned into new devices.
We urgently need to change from our current system of buying things and throwing them away. Reducing the amount of stuff we use and keeping precious resources in use as long as possible, before recycling them fully, is vital to combat climate change and resource scarcity.
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MOREBe in the loop by repairing instead of throwing away. Electronic waste is a huge problem in the UK, with so many appliances being thrown away before they’re truly broken.
Have you gone to heat up your tea and found your microwave sparking? Instead of forking out £80 on a new one, this £5 repair could be the solution to get your microwave back spinning safely.
If you’re certain no foil has found its way into the machine, a damaged waveguide cover might be the cause of the sparks. This small rectangle of silver card allows the microwaves rays to heat the food. If it gets dirty or damaged it can cause sparking and result in problems heating food. There’s no need for a full replacement appliance. Save yourself money and save the planets resources.
This guide will take you through the steps to replace your microwave waveguide cover. If you’re in any doubt about the safety of your appliance, always get a qualified technician to investigate for you.
*Always make sure electronics are unplugged before investigating or working on them*
Step 1:
Have a look at the waveguide cover.
It’s a silvery rectangle usually on the right-hand side, inside the machine. Is it looking dirty? Is it torn? Are there scorch marks from the sparks? If so, it needs replacing.
Step 2:
Order a replacement waveguide cover.
Go online and search ‘microwave waveguide cover’. You’ll find some designed to fit specific makes and models. We think it’s easiest to buy a sheet and cut the new cover to size.
Step 3:
Take out your old waveguide cover and trace the shape onto the new cover card.
Step 4:
Cut round your traced outline.
Step 5:
Fit the new waveguide cover, plug the microwave back in.
That’s it, all fixed! Now find yourself a treat to test your handy work and breath a sign or relief that you’ve not needlessly thrown away a microwave for the sake of a few inches of silver card.
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MORE
Hannah from Tread Softly transforms unwanted furniture into beautiful one of a kind pieces. Hannah shares her upcycling tips with us on how to get started.
As we are becoming increasingly aware of the need to reuse and recycle, there has been a surge of interest in upcycling furniture. I started my business Tread Softly out of a desire to challenge mass produced consumerism and a throwaway society and to highlight the benefits of upcycling old and unwanted items as well as reducing the amount of mass produced ‘fast’ furniture entering the world.
The best part of it, is that old furniture is often better made than the equivalent flat-packed furniture we get today and with a little bit of time, love and care, you can create a completely unique piece of furniture for your home that no one else will have. I also love that these pieces of furniture have a history of their own and through transforming and updating them we can breathe a new lease of life into them.
The idea of upcycling a piece of furniture can be a bit daunting at first but it’s not so difficult if you follow the steps. I taught myself how to do it and made many mistakes along the way, so hopefully I can save you a bit of time by taking you through the process.
Here is a before and after photo of a coffee table that I upcycled for my lounge. I found it in a charity shop just around the corner from my home.
1. Clean item thoroughly with sugar soap or T.S.P and allow to dry
2. Check for any imperfections – fill any scratches or holes with wood filler and allow to dry
3. Sand item to take sheen off (‘key it’ to allow paint to stick)
Start with 80 grit and then move to a 120 grit.
– Can finish with a 180 grit to really smooth out any scratches from sanding.
(The higher the grit the less rough the sand paper)
– Always sand in the same direction as the grain of the wood
4. Use either a tack cloth or white spirit to remove all the dust created from sanding.
5. Now you are ready to paint!
Most of my furniture features at least some painted element and often I paint the entire piece. I love being able to experiment with colours and geometric shapes to give a dated piece of furniture a new lease of life. Paint is really good at hiding scratches and imperfections that it may have acquired in its previous life. I usually use a good wood paint (just make sure you paint with primer before applying) or Fusion Mineral paints (which do not require primer).
There are loads of gorgeous pieces of wooden furniture just waiting to be rescued from charity shops, so keep an eye out next time you are browsing. And if you feel a bit overwhelmed by taking on a big project then why not try doing some smaller items first such as wooden candle sticks, picture frames, trinket boxes or trays.
If you would love to have a go at upcycling and painting a piece of furniture but feel like you would benefit from some guidance then I run upcycling workshops from the gorgeous Pear Mill in Stockport. At the workshops, I talk you through how to prepare your furniture; from using wood filler to choosing the right sand paper as well as help with paint brush selection and advice on different top coats you can use. I will demonstrate how to use masking tape to create modern geometric designs so that you will leave feeling confident and full of ideas for future upcycling projects.
Hannah’s next workshop is on Friday 28th February and they take place once a month. To book a place and for more information visit www.treadsoftlydesigns.co.uk
Follow on Instagram @treadsoftlyuk
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MORE
Life is getting more expensive by the minute and we’re all looking for ways to increase the cash in our pockets. There are huge savings to be made by investing in reusable and sustainable versions of things you use everyday. We’ve put together 6 switches you can make to start saving money. If your family of 4 did everything on this list you could save over £1670 a year!
Drying hands, sorting spills and general cleaning, towels are a necessity. Paper towels are made from trees which take decades to grow. Trees are brilliant at absorbing some of the excess CO2 we produce, cutting them down just so we can dry our hands is not very smart. What’s the sustainable option? Washable towels. We use fabric towels in the bathroom, so why not the whole house? By switching from paper to fabric towels for as little as £15 for a set, you could save hundreds a year. Granted, you need to wash them, but throw them in with your normal towels, pop a pile where the kitchen roll used to be and start saving money and trees.
Fancy £91 off your energy bill?
Swapping a traditional 100 watt bulb for a LED will save you £13 per bulb, per year. Older incandescent bulbs require up to 80% more energy as they produce a lot of heat. Using less energy benefits your pocket, but also means less fossil fuels are being burned. Arguably LED bulbs are pricier than incandescent bulbs, at about £5 each, so this swap might be best done when your old incandescent bulb comes to the end of it’s life.
Treat yourself and save £130 a year.
After the initial investment on your fabulous, personalised reusable cup, with a lid that actually stays in place (no more coffee dribbling on your t-shirt or sloshing about in the car) you can cash in on savings at coffee shops. Some high street chains like Pret a Manger will give you 50p off the price of your drink in a reusable cup. Costa will give you an extra stamp on your loyalty card, meaning you only buy 4 drinks instead of 8 to get a free one. If you’re a caffeine addict, this one is a no brainer.
Look good whilst saving £11
for the skincare lovers, and this swap doesn’t even require investment. To grow 1kg of cotton (the same size a t-shirt) it requires the same amount of drinking water as one person needs for 2.5 years! That and the nasty pesticides involved in growing cotton means a reusable option is much more sustainable than throwing away hundreds of pads each year. You can cut your own fabric pads from an old t-shirt or towel. It’s best to pop them into a little bag if washing in the machine so they don’t escape. If you want to buy a set of soft fabric wipes, that come with a handy little washing bag, it’ll set you back just £2 and you’ll get savings after less than 2 months.
£820 up in smoke.
Single use vapes contain precious elements like lithium, an important component in electric vehicle batteries. Vapes are also wrapped in plastic that can’t be recycled. Single use vape pens are not only terrible for the environment, they’re awful for your finances. If you vape everyday you could be burning through an extra £820 every year.
Even if you keep vaping to when you socialise at the weekend, single use vapes could be costing you 3 times as much as a reusable device.
Roll up for £250 worth of savings.
British people can feel a bit weird discussing what goes on in the loo, but bidets are the preferred way to clean up in many countries. A family of 4 flushes £250 worth of toilet roll down the drain every year.
Simple wall mounted hand-held bidets start from around £25 and you’d expect to use around £18 of additional water for 4 people.
These swaps won’t just save you money, they’ll help to conserve resources. The planets resources are running out quickly and we urgently need to change the way we consume to be able to continue to enjoy everyday things we take for granted. Reusing things to reduce the amount of stuff we throw away is a vital stage in the loop/Is vital to stay in the loop.
Learn more about being in the loop.
Find out how we recycle mattresses in Greater Manchester.
READ MORE
See your recycling in action! Have you ever wondered what happens to your recycling after it has been collected or taken to the tip? Here’s your chance to see behind the scenes at our sites and learn what really happens
READ MORE
Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. Old batteries may seem ‘dead’ but they can still cause fires if you don’t dispose of them properly. They can be crushed in bin lorries or waste sorting plants and start fires.
READ MORE