To find out if an item is foil or metallised plastic film, do the scrunch test. Simply scrunch the item in your hand – if it stays ‘scrunched’ it is foil and can be recycled. If it springs back it is probably metallised plastic film.
Recycling Centre Rules
How Many Times Can I Visit?The number of times you can visit Greater Manchester Suez Recycling Centres in a year, depends on the size of your vehicle:
This includes: disability-adapted vehicles, SUVs, people carriers with multiple seats (under 2 metres high), bicycles, cargo bikes and bikes with a cargo trailer.
You must apply for a van permit if you are coming to the Recycling Centre in a van, pickup truck, or with a double axle trailer
To help us monitor number of visits, Automatic Number Plate Recognition and CCTV is used at the Recycling Centre.
For more information, visit the Recycling Centre visit limit information page.
What can I take to the Recycling Centre?Please make sure you separate your waste and recycling so you can put them in the right container when you arrive.
Please check our A-Z recycling guide for a full list of what you can take.
You can take hardcore and rubble from DIY projects 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.
What can I take to the Recycling Centre?Please make sure you separate your waste and recycling so you can put them in the right container when you arrive.
Please check our A-Z recycling guide for a full list of what you can take.
You can take hardcore and rubble from DIY projects 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.
Renew shopsYou can now donate a range of unwanted items at 15 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew shops selling pre-love household items at an affordable price – find out more.
Waste Transfer Facility rules
Van Permit
Wear Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)For health and safety reasons, PPE must be worn when recycling or disposing of your household waste at the waste transfer facilities. These are working industrial sites where council and high sided vehicles go.
Previously we were able to provide shared PPE for residents to borrow, however due to Covid-19 we are currently unable do to so. You must bring and wear your own.
If you do not wear the correct PPE, you will not be able to dispose of your waste and recycling.
You must wear:
Providing Proof of AddressProviding hire vehicle documents
How many times can I visit?The number of times you can visit Greater Manchester Suez waste transfer facilities in a year, depends on the size of your vehicle:
Why do I need a Permit?How many times can I visit?Waste Transfer Facility Rules (Vehicles over 2m)
In January, the recycling rate for Every Street recycling centre was 55.80%
You can take batteries to a Recycling Centre.
Regular household batteries can also be recycled at most supermarkets or electrical stores.
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.
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.
xYou can take fluorescent tubes to a Recycling Centre.
Do not put them in your mixed recycling bin.
Recycling points are available at some supermarkets.
xYou can take energy saving / LED light bulbs to a Recycling Centre.
Incandescent light bulbs can’t be recycled, please put in your general waste bin.
xYou can take fridges and freezers to a Recycling Centre. You can now donate fridges that are in good visual condition, with no items missing, at 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 today.
If your large electrical item, such as a 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).
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.
If your electrical items are still working and in a reusable condition you can donate it to a reuse organisation or some charities. Some offer a free collection service.
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.
If your electrical items are still working and in a reusable condition you can donate it to a reuse organisation or some charities. Some offer a free collection service.
Lots of charities collect empty printer cartridges to raise money by refilling and reselling them. Take a look online to find charities in your area that collect print cartridges.
You can take used ink cartridges back to the shop you purchased them from or post them back to the manufacturer. Often, cartridges include a mailing label to send them back.
Used print cartridges can also be taken to a Recycling Centre for recycling.
Some printer cartridges can be refilled with a store bought refill kit. When buying your printer, choose one that uses cartridges that can be easily refilled or that is compatible with generic or refillable cartridges.
You can recycle TVs (including smart tvs) and monitors at a Recycling Centre. Do not put electrical items in your bins at home.
You can now donate TVs and monitors that are in good visual condition, with no items missing, at 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 today.
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).
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.
This includes:
A restriction on the amount of rubble that can be disposed of is being introduced as it is recognised that rubble is one of the main types of waste that traders are disposing of unlawfully at the household waste recycling centres. Residents of Greater Manchester are still able to dispose of rubble if they have carried the work out at home by themselves.
Do not put rubble or soil in any of your bins at home.
Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired 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.
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.
xYou can take timber and wood to a Recycling Centre
Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired 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.
xAny windows removed by tradespeople you hired to carry out improvements or maintenance 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.
xYou can take car batteries to a Recycling Centre.
If you buy a new battery from a garage, ask them to take the old one.
xYou can take used engine oil to a Recycling Centre. Make sure your engine oil is stored in as 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.
Top Tips
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.
Over 38 million tyres are thrown away in the UK each year and are sometimes flytipped on garage forecourts, industrial estates or car parks.
If you have tyres replaced by an garage, they are responsible for disposing the tyres correctly.
xYou 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, 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.
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.
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Clean aluminium foil and foil trays can be recycled in your mixed recycling bin at home.
This does not include foil wrapped crisp packets or pet food pouches. These items can look like aluminium foil but are actually made from metallised plastic film. Some food brands have partnered with Terracycle to recycle crisp packets and food pouches. Check for a recycling drop off point near you. If there isn’t a recycling point near you, put these should in your general waste bin.
To find out if an item is foil or metallised plastic film, do the scrunch test. Simply scrunch the item in your hand – if it stays ‘scrunched’ it is foil and can be recycled. If it springs back it is probably metallised plastic film.
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.
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Plastic bottles go in your mixed recycling bin. This includes all bottles such as, cleaning product bottles, trigger spray bottles, shampoo and shower gel bottles, drinks and milk bottles.
Find out what happens to your plastic bottles
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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. Make sure you remove all non-paper items like bubble wrap, plastic packaging and polystyrene and put them in your general waste bin.
This includes:
You can take cardboard boxes to a Recycling Centre
Choose to reuse
Shredded cardboard makes great animal bedding.
xGarden waste can be recycled at home in your food and garden bin or in a home compost bin
This includes:
• Flowers and plants
• Leaves
• Grass cuttings
• Hedge clippings
• Twigs and small branches
• Weeds (no Japanese Knotwood or Himalayan Balsam)
You can take garden waste (no soil or food waste) to a Recycling Centre
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.
xYou can take used cooking oil to a Recycling Centre.
Put the cooled cooking oil in an empty disposable sealed container.
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 poor oil down the drain.
xYou can take paint cans from home DIY projects to a Recycling Centre for safe disposal or you could donate leftover paint to a local reuse scheme.
Do not put paint cans and tins in your mixed recycling bin and paint must not be poured down the drain.
Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired 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.
There are a number of community paint schemes which accept donations of leftover paint.
You can take carpets to a Recycling Centre.
Any waste produced by tradespeople or builders you hired 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.
xYou can take clothes in good condition to a charity shop.
You can take clothes and textiles in any condition to your local Recycling Centre.
xYou can take your used mattresses to a Recycling Centre.
You can recycle mattresses at the following Recycling Centres:
Mattress recycling containers are not available at Chester Road Recycling Centre, Ash Road Recycling Centre or Sandfold Lane Recycling Centre but you can still take your mattress to these recycling centres for disposal.
If you don’t have a vehicle to transport your mattress, your local council may offer a collection service for bulky items.
Choose to reuse
You can donate your mattress to some charities if its in a reusable condition.
xYou can now donate this item at 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester to help stock our new Renew shops selling pre-love household items at an affordable price – find out more 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 book 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 Recycling Centre.
xYou can now donate furniture at 18 recycling centres across Greater Manchester (excluding Chester Road and Reliance St) to help stock our new Renew shops selling pre-love household items at an affordable price – find out more today. Please note upholstered furniture needs to have a fire safety tag.
If you can’t get your furniture to a Recycling Centre, you can still 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.
xYou 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.
Household chemicals can be taken to a Recycling Centre.
Hazardous household chemicals can cause damage to health or the environment. Please follow guidance on the packaging on how to dispose of it safely.
xPlease read the Gov.uk Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection on how to dispose of personal waste like tissues.
All these things can go in your general waste bin:
Do not put the following items in your general waste bin:
Your general waste does not go to landfill, it is used to make electricity.
You can take general waste to a Recycling Centre.
xHard plastics such as broken garden furniture, broken toys and hard plastic storage containers can be taken to the recycling centre.
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Times running out! Book your place at our Renew Hub Open Day before it's too late: recycleforgreatermanchester.c…
