Some recycling centres will provide a limited service for general waste/bags of rubbish only, no recycling or garden waste containers will be available initially.

This is not business as usual but a phased opening.

Not all sites will open due to shortages of staff and all sites have reduced opening hours.

Please check before you visit.

Recycle for Greater Manchester

The sites are open with social distancing measures in place so visitors should only go if it’s an essential visit and should expect queues.

We are still urging the public to Stay Home, Stay Safe and Protect the NHS.

Visitors may be turned away if the queues are too long and asked to return at another time.

Recycling Centre Rules

• Open for bagged general waste only, no recycling or garden waste accepted
• Only 1 person per vehicle
• Cars and small vans only – No transit type vans and vehicles with trailers
• No pedestrian access
• SUEZ staff will not be able to help unload your vehicle
• Please take proof of address with you such as your council tax bill, gas or electric bill to show you live in one of the 9 councils in Greater Manchester. You can show your bill on your mobile phone.
• ANPR and CCTV are in operation, trade waste is not allowed.
• Please expect to queue for longer than usual due to social distancing restrictions in place. Please make sure you don’t block access for other road users

Residents are being asked to check their number plate and only attend on a specific day if their number is odd/even. This is to reduce the potential number of visitors expected. Check before you travel.

Check the recycleforgreatermanchester.com website for more details.

How will it work?

SUEZ have reorganised the layout of the recycling centres and introduced social distancing measures. Only a limited number of cars (up to 5) will be allowed on site at any one time with a one in, one out policy. For each parking bay, there will be a container to place bags of general waste in. There will be no other recycling containers available. Residents should leave the site as quickly as possible to allow the next car in. 

Highways officers and traffic marshals will patrol the roads surrounding the recycling centres to guide the public. Traffic management such as cones, traffic signs, diversions and one way systems will be implemented to help the flow of traffic. Please check your local council website for updates on diversions.

If the queue becomes too long, residents may be turned away and asked to return at a later time.

When and why did the sites close?

All GMCA Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) closed on 24^th March in order to comply with Government guidance on essential reasons to leave the house during the initial 3 week lock down period. GMCA was not unique in taking this approach to HWRCs, the position nationally was that most recycling centres were closed pending review of the lockdown restrictions.

Why are centres only reopening now? What’s changed?

Defra guidance around opening up the recycling centres has changed and we recognise that many of us are producing more waste whilst spending time at home, so to ease pressure on the council bin collections, it was agreed by the GMCA and the 9 councils to open some of the recycling centres for general waste only.

How many sites will open?

16 out of 20 sites will open but this is not business as usual so please check opening hours before you travel (not all sites are open 7 days a week) and ask yourself if this journey is essential. https://recycleforgreatermanchester.com/

What can I take to the recycling centre?

Only general waste/rubbish in bin bags that you can’t fit in your household bin such as nappies, plastic packaging, polystyrene and other household waste (small bulky waste) that can’t be recycled.

What about other recycling and garden waste?

Please store recycling and garden waste at home until we can offer this service. By only offering containers for general waste, we can get people through the sites quicker and there is no need for anyone to walk about the site coming into contact with other visitors.

Some of the recycling re-processors that we send the recycling to (wood, electricals etc) are not open.

Looking Forward

We will review the situation along with Government guidance and in time may be able to provide other containers for recycling.

We need the cooperation of the public to make this work – please don’t go unless you really need to.

Check the last number on your number plate and this is when you can go:

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