CHICHESTER STREET RECYCLING CENTRE

Vapes / E-cigarettes

E-cigarettes and vaping device waste should be taken to the recycling centre, where they can be disposed of in the Vape container.

Do not put electrical or battery powered items in any of your bins at home.

Batteries

Batteries don’t go in any of your bins at home. 

You can take batteries to a recycling centre.
Regular household batteries can also be recycled at most supermarkets or electrical stores.

Keep your bin crew safe

Please do not throw any batteries in any of your wheelie bins at home. This is because they are a fire risk and contain hazardous materials.

Does your item contain hidden batteries?

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 doing the following:

1. Don’t throw it in any of your bins at home!
2. Store your items properly until you can take them to a recycling point.
3. Take your items to the nearest recycling centre to dispose of them properly. Alternatively, visit Recycle Your Electricals to find your nearest electrical recycling point.

Choose to reuse

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.

Fluorescent tubes

What do I do with fluorescent tubes?

Fluorescent tubes can be very harmful to the environment, wildlife and humans. That’s because fluorescent lighting contains mercury, a highly toxic metal. If it’s not disposed of correctly, mercury can disperse into the atmosphere, allowing it to contaminate water supplies and harm wildlife.

The importance of proper disposal

The most important thing is NOT to put fluorescent tubes into your general waste or recycling bin – the mercury content means they are designated as hazardous waste.

There are several specialist recycling services, especially for commercial premises using lots of fluorescent tubes, although the majority of these do not accept broken or damaged tubes. 

Domestic users should take their fluorescent tubes to their local household recycling centre. Many supermarkets offer recycling facilities but not necessarily for fluorescent tubes. Check before you head out.

Safety first for broken lights

If your fluorescent lighting is damaged, you need to minimise the number of people and pets exposed to it.

Turn off any central heating or air conditioning you have on to prevent the toxins being spread from room to room. 

Open any windows and doors to air the room and use stiff paper, cardboard or a disposable wet wipe to transfer the fragments into an airtight container. Use sticky tape to collect any smaller fragments.

Do not vacuum unless all your attempts to clean up the fragments have failed as this can spread the mercury powders or vapours when you next use your vacuum. If you do vacuum, empty the bag straight away afterwards heeding the advice from above.

Light bulbs

What do I do with light bulbs?

Old style light bulbs, sometimes called ‘incandescent’, should be disposed of in normal household waste. They cannot be recycled as with regular glass, as the fine wires in glass processing are very difficult to separate out and the cost to recycle these items is prohibitive.

Energy efficient light bulbs save you money and help the environment by using less electricity. At the same time, you are also reducing the quantity of waste, because they don’t need to be replaced as often. And they can be recycled.

How to recycle energy-saving bulbs

Low energy light bulbs, sometimes called compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), can be recycled at your local household waste recycling centres and some stores, although check before heading out. They contain small amounts of mercury, but this is completely safe unlike fluorescent tubes (see below).

Shedding light on more bulbs

Halogen light bulbs should be disposed of in normal household waste. They cannot be recycled with regular glass as the fine wires in them are very difficult to separate out. 

Individual LEDs can be disposed of in household waste.

The most important thing is NOT to put fluorescent tubes into your general waste or recycling bin as the mercury content means they are designated as hazardous waste.

Domestic users should take their fluorescent tubes to their local household recycling centre. Many supermarkets offer recycling facilities but not necessarily for fluorescent tubes. Check before you head out.

Fridges and freezers

You can take fridges and freezers to a recycling centre. You can now donate fridges that are in good visual condition, with no items missing, to one of our 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew Market selling pre-loved household items at an affordable price – find out more here today.

Choose to reuse

If your large electrical item, such as washing machine, is still working and in a reusable condition, your local reuse organisation may be able to refurbish it and give it a new lease of life and a new home.

Often shops will collect your unwanted electricals when they deliver your new one – especially larger items like TVs, fridges and freezers (some retailers may charge to collect electrical items).

You can arrange a collection with your local council. Some councils may charge for this service.

Large electrical items

Any electrical items large or small can be recycled at a recycling centre.

You can now donate some large electric items that are in good visual condition, with no items missing, at one of our 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew shops selling pre-loved household items at an affordable price –find out more here today.

If you are replacing an electrical item, some retailers will collect your old electrical item when they deliver your new one.

Do not put electrical or battery powered items in any of your bins at home.

Small electrical items

Any electrical items large or small can be recycled at a recycling centre.

Do not put electrical or battery powered items in any of your bins at home.

If you are replacing an electrical item, some retailers will collect your old electrical item when they deliver your new one.

Ink cartridges and toners

You can recycle printer cartridges at a recycling centre.

You can also return used cartridges to the shop you purchased it from or mail the cartridges back to the manufacturer.

Choose to reuse

Most ink or printer cartridges can be refilled with a store-bought refill kit.

TV and monitors

You can now donate TVs and monitors that are in good visual condition, with no items missing to 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew Market selling pre-love household items at an affordable price – find out more here today.

You can recycle TVs (including smart TVs) and monitors at a recycling centre. Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.

If your TV or monitor is still working and in a reusable condition, your local reuse organisation may be able to refurbish it. Some charities will collect unwanted electrical items for free.

Often shops will collect your unwanted electricals when they deliver your new one – especially larger items like TV’s, fridges and freezers (please note that some retailers may charge to collect electrical items).

Hardcore and rubble

You can take hardcore and rubble to a recycling centre.

You are limited to the amount of rubble you can take in one visit. The limit is five (900mm x 600mm) rubble sacks per visit. Residents of Greater Manchester are able to dispose of rubble if they have carried the work out at home by themselves.

Soil

You can take garden soil to a recycling centre. Please transport it in robust sacks. You are limited to the amount you can take in one visit. The limit is five (900mm x 600mm) rubble sacks per visit.

Soil can’t go in your food and garden bin at home as it will affect the quality of the compost produced. This is because soil is a mineral and may also contain other potentially toxic elements like heavy metals.

Any garden waste produced by tradespeople or gardeners you hired to carry out improvements or maintenance to your garden is classed as business waste and can’t be disposed of at any of our recycling centres. Always ask a tradesperson to include waste disposal in their quote.

If you are using using your own van, pick-up truck, twin axle trailer or you are hiring a van, you will need a van permit.

Plasterboard

You can take plaster and plasterboard to a recycling centre.

If you have removed plasterboard from your own home you can take plasterboard to one of the recycling centres listed below.

No Trade Waste:

• Arkwright Street (Oldham)
• Bayley Street (Tameside)
• Cemetery Road (Bury)
• Chichester Street (Rochdale)
• Springvale (Rochdale)
• Hurstwood Court (Bolton)
• Salford Road (Bolton)
• Bredbury Parkway (Stockport)
• Adswood (Stockport)
• Boysnope Wharf (Salford)
• Lumns Lane (Salford)
• Longley Lane (Manchester)

If you are using your own van, pick-up truck, twin axle trailer or hire van, you will need a van permit

If you have hired someone to remove the plasterboard for you, it can’t be disposed of at any of our sites because this is classed as business waste. The tradesperson or builder should dispose of the plasterboard for you.

Timber and wood

You can take timber and wood to a recycling centre.

Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired to carry out improvements, repairs or alterations to your home is classed as business waste and can’t be disposed of at any of our recycling centres. Always ask a tradesperson to include waste disposal in their quote.

Car batteries

You can take car batteries to a recycling centre.

If you buy a new battery from a garage, ask them to take the old one.

Do not put car batteries in any of your bins at home.

Engine oil

You can take used engine oil to a recycling centre. Make sure your engine oil is stored in a sealed container. Upon arrival, ask a member of staff to direct you to the right container.

Do not pour used engine oil down any drains. It can cause considerable environmental damage if it leaches into watercourses or groundwater.

• Don’t mix engine oil with any other substance – as this makes it difficult to recycle
• The government website Oil Bank Line can tell you more about recycling your oil

Tyres

Tyres can be recycled at a recycling centre.

Tyres are shredded and granulated at our partner site in Bury. They are turned into a crumb which is used in equestrian matting, playgrounds and sometimes for drainage. During the shredding process, some wire is removed and recycled.

If you have tyres replaced by a garage, they are responsible for disposing of the tyres correctly.

Scrap metal

You can take scrap metal to a recycling centre.

Do not put scrap metal in any of your bins at home.

Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired to carry out improvements, repairs or alterations to your home is classed as business waste and can’t be disposed of at any of our recycling centres. Always ask a tradesperson to include waste disposal in their quote.

Aerosols

Recycle your aerosol cans in your mixed recycling bin at home.

Please remove the plastic lids and put them in your general waste bin.

Make sure your aerosol cans are completely empty before recycling. Do not pierce, crush or flatten them. Aerosols can be stored for a long time, so there’s no need to throw away a half empty can.

Aluminium cans

Recycle your empty aluminium cans in your mixed recycling bin at home.

Aluminium foil

Recycle clean aluminium foil and foil trays in your mixed recycling bin at home.

Recycling Tip

To check whether something is made of foil or not, do the scrunch test.

Scrunch the item in your hand:

• If it stays scrunched – its foil! Recycle it in your mixed recycling bin
• If it springs back – its plastic! Put it in your general waste bin

Glass bottles and jars

You can recycle glass bottles and jars (all colours) in your mixed recycling bin at home.

Please remove all lids from your bottles and jars and give them a rinse before recycling. Put the lids in your general waste bin.

Bottles (plastic)

What do I do with plastic bottles?

Plastic bottles go in your mixed recycling bin. 

However, it is estimated that an average of 35.8 million plastic bottles are used EVERY DAY in the UK, but only just over half – 19.8 million – are recycled each day.

That means on average, there are 16 million plastic bottles not making their way into the recycling bin – every day.

Which plastic bottles can I recycle?

The simple answer is most of them. The only exceptions are those that have contained chemicals, such as antifreeze, for example. And check the labels on ready-to-use plant food and pesticides bottles.

That means all the following CAN be recycled:

• All clear and coloured plastic bottles from around the home.
• Cleaning product bottles, such as bathroom cleaners and bleach, with any triggers left on.
• Detergent and soap bottles, but minus the pump in this case.
• Fizzy and non-fizzy drinks and water bottles.
• Shampoo, shower gel and skin care product bottles.
• Milk bottles.

How to recycle plastic bottles

• Empty and rinse your empty plastic bottles. Any remaining liquids can contaminate other recyclables and if bottles contain liquid they may be deemed too heavy by the automated sorting process. Liquid can also damage the machinery.
• Leave the labels on – these will be removed in the process.
• Squash bottles to save space.
• Replace lids and tops. If they stay on the container they will get recycled.
• If the lid is already attached, leave attached as this will ensure the lid is recycled along with the bottle.

Why can’t I recycle other plastics like pots, tubs and trays in my recycling bin at home?

Unlike plastic bottles which are mainly made of two types of plastic (HDPE and PET) plastic pots, tubs, trays, bags and film are made of a range of different types of plastic.

All plastics in theory can be recycled but it is not always technically or economically viable. In Greater Manchester, we only collect plastic bottles because there is a sustainable market for them, and we can guarantee they will be recycled.

Hard plastics

Hard plastics such as broken garden furniture, broken toys and hard plastic storage containers can be taken to the recycling centre.

Cardboard

Cardboard boxes and all others types of card can be recycled in your paper and card bin at home. Flatten them to save space in your bin.

This includes:

• Cardboard packaging (such as empty cereal boxes)
• Kitchen roll and toilet roll tubes
• Cardboard boxes
• Greeting cards (tear off any glitter)
• Clothes labels or tags

Make sure you remove all non-paper items like bubble wrap, plastic packaging and polystyrene and put them in your general waste bin.

You can take cardboard boxes to a recycling centre

Choose to reuse

Shredded cardboard makes great animal bedding.

Garden waste

What happens to food and garden waste?

All local councils in Greater Manchester have bins for collecting food and garden waste and some provide waste food caddies too.

Once collected, your food and garden waste is delivered to what’s called In-Vessel Composting facilities (IVC) in the UK.

In-Vessel composting is a true example of turning waste into a resource, utilising green waste to deliver a rich and organic compost product.

An IVC is like a home compost bin, but on a massive scale. The IVC system harnesses the natural composting process to recycle your food and garden waste into compost in just six weeks.

The compost produced is used as a soil improver on agricultural and horticultural land, among other uses.

Bin colours might differ, but the aim is the same

Different councils use different coloured bins for food and garden waste, either green, brown, or pink if you live in Salford.

If you’re unsure which bin to use, here’s a breakdown:

• Green – Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Stockport, Trafford.
• Brown – Bury, Rochdale, Tameside.

Visit the My area section of this website to find out what you can and can’t put in your food and garden waste bin in your local area. There are also details of all the recycling centres where you live.

What can I put in my food and garden waste?

There might be slight variations where you live, but as a general rule of thumb your food and garden waste bin if for:

• Fruit and vegetable peelings
• Bread and cakes
• Tea bags and coffee grounds
• Scrapings from your plate
• Eggs and dairy products for example cheese
• Meat including bones
• Fish
• Cut flowers
• Garden waste
• Twigs and sticks no thicker than your wrist

No soil please

Soil is not accepted at the composting plant where the garden and food waste is treated. If you have soil to get rid of, take it to your nearest tip or recycling centre.

Most households are given free compostable food bags to collect their food scraps in. These bags are made from starch material and are 100% compostable, dissolving away quickly in the food waste.

A word of warning, however. If you’re buying your own bags from a shop or supermarket do not buy biodegradable plastic bags as they breakdown into little bits of plastic and are not compostable. You need to ensure your bags are 100% compostable – look out for the seedling logo.

Love Food Hate Waste

While turning our food and garden waste into compost is a great idea, cutting back on the food we waste is even better.

The Love Food Hate Waste campaign is supported by many local councils and encourages everyone to do their bit to save food from going in the bin – protecting our beautiful planet at the same time too.

Discover everything the Love Food Hate Waste campaign has to offer, visit its website.

Cooking oil

You can take used cooking oil to a recycling centre.

Put the cooled cooking oil in an empty sealed container and place it in the cage labelled cooking oil at the recycling centre.

Alternatively, you can put your cooled used cooking oil into a bottle. Make sure the lid is on tight and put it in your general waste bin.

Never pour oil down the drain.

Paint and paint cans

What do I do with paint cans?

Although it’s safe to use paint in our homes, it’s important to remember it can be damaging to the environment if it isn’t disposed of correctly. Do NOT put paint cans and tins in your mixed recycling bin and paint must not be poured down the drain.

The first thing to consider if you’ve got plenty of paint left is to ask family, friends or neighbours if they want it. Alternatively, you could Freecycle or Freegle it.

Paint the town red, or any colour 

There are also a number of community paint schemes that accept donations of leftover paint. One of the biggest is the Community RePaint scheme sponsored by Dulux, which lists places nationwide where paint can be donated. It is then provided in part and full containers of affordable, leftover paint to individuals, groups and organisations.

You will find links to schemes in Bolton, Rochdale, Moss Side and Wythenshawe in Manchester on the Community RePaint site here. 

Brush up on responsible disposal

If your paint is very old and unsuitable for re-use, or you can’t find someone locally who can use it, you need to make sure the paint is hardened before you dispose of it. As we’ve already cautioned, paint cannot be placed in your household mixed recycling bin and must not be poured down the drain where it can cause damage and blockages.

If you have a small amount of paint left, brush it on to scrap paper or cardboard and leave it to dry. Once dry, the paper or card can be placed in your household bin. If there is a larger amount of paint in the can (more than a few centimetres deep), add some dry soil, sand or sawdust and leave it to harden.

Take your paint cans to your nearest household waste recycling centre where plastic paint cans are disposed of responsibly and metal paint cans are sent for recycling.

Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hire to carry out improvements, repair or alterations to your home is classed as business waste and can’t be disposed of at any of our recycling centres. Always ask a tradesperson to include waste disposal in their quote.

Carpet

You can take carpets to a recycling centre.

Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired to carry out improvements, repairs or alterations to your home is classed as business waste and can’t be disposed of at any of our recycling centres. Always ask a tradesperson to include waste disposal in their quote.

Mattresses

You can take your used mattresses to one of our 20 recycling centres, most of them have a mattress recycling container, please ask an operative for further advice if you are unsure.

If you don’t have a vehicle to transport your mattress, your local council may offer a collection service for bulky items my area

Choose to reuse 

You can donate your mattress to some charities if it’s in a reusable condition.

Mattresses are notoriously difficult to recycle, as they are created using a range of materials including metal coils, cotton and wool fibres, springs, foam and other textiles, with little thought on how to recycle and reuse the product in the future. TFR Group has created a unique system to simplify mattress recycling, breakdown mattress materials into 19 different component parts, including steel, cotton, polyester, and foam. They have established this mattress recycling facility at our Salford Road site in Bolton and created 25 new jobs.

Furniture (not upholstered)

You can now donate furniture at one of our 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew shops selling pre-loved household items at an affordable price – find out more here today. Please note upholstered furniture needs to have a fire safety tag.

You can also donate your furniture directly to a furniture reuse organisation or charity.  Some offer a free collection service.

If your furniture is not reusable you can still take it to a recycling centre for disposal. Your local council may have a collection service for bulky items.

Furniture (upholstered)

You can now donate furniture at one of our 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew shops selling pre-loved household items at an affordable price – find out more here. Please note upholstered furniture needs to have a fire safety tag.

You can also donate your furniture directly to a furniture reuse organisation or charity.  Some offer a free collection service.

If your furniture is not reusable you can still take it to a recycling centre for disposal. Your local council may have a collection service for bulky items.

Why do you collect upholstered furniture separately?

Due to new regulations brought in by the Environment Agency, we must collect upholstered furniture separately. This includes:

• sofas
• sofa beds
• armchairs
• recliner chairs (electrical or mechanical)
• kitchen and dining room chairs
• garden furniture
• stools and foot stools
• office chairs that are fire resistant to domestic standards
• futons
• bean bags, floor and sofa cushions
• any other upholstered items that can reasonably be described as a form of seating used by households, and to which relevant fire regulations apply this might include child car seats, highchairs, and benches

This type of furniture can contain chemicals which if released into the atmosphere can be harmful. Under the regulations, it must be handled and disposed of separately in an Energy from Waste plant.

For more information Manage waste upholstered domestic seating containing POPs – GOV.UK

Media (Books, CDs and DVDs)

You can now donate books, CDs and DVDs in good condition to one of our 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew shops, selling pre-loved household items at an affordable price – find out more here today.

You can take reusable second hand books, CDs and DVDs to a local charity shop. You can also take reusable CDs, DVDs, console games, blu-rays in their original cases and books to a recycling centre – put them in the media bank.

Please put damaged books in your paper and card bin at home.

Any damaged or incomplete discs, CD/DVD copies, cassette tapes that no longer work can go in your general waste bin or the general waste container at the recycling centre.

Textiles

You can donate textiles in a good condition to a charity shop.

You can take bagged clothes and textiles in any condition, including items not suitable for reuse i.e. ripped or stained to your local recycling centre and put them in the textile bin.

Please bag them for disposal.

Household chemicals

Household chemicals can be taken to a recycling centre.

Hazardous household chemicals can cause damage to health or the environment. Please follow guidance provided on the packaging on how to dispose of it safely.

Gas bottles

You can take gas bottles to a recycling centre.

Gas bottles can be refilled for further use or can be returned to the supplier.

Please do not put gas bottles in any of your bins at home as they may explode if they are crushed.

General waste (non-recyclable waste)

The general waste (non-recyclable waste) produced in Greater Manchester is sent by rail to an energy recovery plant (combined heat and power plant) in Runcorn where it is used to generate electricity and steam that is used in the operation of the neighbouring plant.

Your general waste does not go to landfill, it is used to make electricity. in fact we currently divert over 99.5% of the 1millions tonnes of waste we handle per year away from landfill to reuse, recycling, composting and energy recovery.

All these things can go in your general waste bin:

• Soft plastic packaging (bread bags, crisp packet, cling film)
• Plastic bags
• Polystyrene
• Food and drink pouches
• Plant pots
• Pet waste
• Cotton wool and make up pads
• Nappies and sanitary products
• Tissues and used paper towels
• Wet wipes
• Wallpaper

Do not put the following items in your general waste bin:

• Batteries
• Clothes and textiles
• Electrical items

You can take general waste (non-recyclable waste) to a recycling centre