Helping you recycle more

What can I put in my recycling bins?

Download our latest guide for what types of rubbish your can put in your recycling bins at home.

What can I put in my recycling bins? (723KB)

Landfilling rubbish is a waste!

The more rubbish we send to landfill, the more the council has to pay in landfill tax.

We want to spend taxpayers' money on providing essential services for your community and reduce how much we spend on landfill tax.

Let council money go further by:

• Reducing the amount of rubbish you produce
• Reusing anything you can
• Recycling as much as possible

Almost everything we do creates waste and as a society we are currently producing more waste than ever before. By recycling waste we stop it going to landfill thus saving resources and cutting down on costs.

Slim your bin!

See our handy tips to help you manage your household waste better and lower your 'waste line'.

Waste prevention factsheets

Download these factsheets to help you recycle more and waste less:

• Composting
• Reusing everyday items
• Stopping junk mail
• Donating unwanted items
• Using less packaging
• Using real nappies

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse - The 3Rs

Recycle

When waste cannot be reduced or reused, recycling is a way of giving it a second life and preventing it from going to landfill.

Recycling your waste:

• Your recycling collection Most residents who live within the borough of Rochdale have a collection of glass bottles and jars, cans, aerosols, plastic bottles and aluminium foil in either a 140 or 240 litre light green bin as well as a mixed paper and cardboard collection (placed in a blue bin/bag). Some properties on the farm or rural round currently have different arrangements for their refuse and recycling collections.
• Garden waste A garden waste recycling scheme is available to those residents whose waste is collected in a refuse vehicle. Please note: This collection does not apply to the farm or rural round.
• Food waste From October 2011 we will be collecting  food and garden waste from households who currently have a brown wheeled bin. Residents who have access to this service will receive a kitchen caddy which can be emptied into their brown bin.
• Recycling sites or "bring sites". There are a number of recycling sites across the borough where you can take your glass bottles and jars, textiles, paper, plastic bottles, cans and shoes to recycle.
• Household waste disposal sites - The tip.

Reduce

Reducing your waste:

• Make your own lunch - not only does it save you money but it also saves on packaging.
• Hire rather than buy DVDs, tools and so on. It saves on storage too!
• Use you local library instead of buying books.
• Avoid purchasing things that are used once, (such as batteries) and think about using re-chargeable ones. Use real nappies, handkerchiefs instead of tissues, cotton cloths rather than kitchen roll, canvas shopping bags in place of plastic shopping bags.
• Take advantage of the Mail Preference Service. You can sign up online or telephone 020 7291 3310 to stop junk mail coming through your door.
• Send an e-card or email to cut down on paper usage.
• Avoid printing everything and think about using both sides of the paper if possible.
• Try not to fill your bin with air and squash non-recyclable packaging whenever possible.

• Reduce food waste (Love Food Hate Waste)
• Reduce junk mail
• Reduce packaging

Reuse

Easy steps to help you re-use instead!

1. Wash out food jars and use them for storage
2. Say NO to single use plastic bags and use bags for life when you go shopping
3. Plastic bags and boxes can often be re-used for carrying shopping and other items. Keep them in the boot of your car for when you go shopping
4. Use rechargeable batteries which can be recharged and re-used many times. They are available from most electrical stores and local supermarkets
5. Use real nappies. Real nappies are now trendy, durable and excellent value for money and are available in a wide choice of fabrics and designs. Find out more about real nappies.
6. Buy good quality classic items of clothing you are going to wear for a long time
7. Buy or donate unwanted clothes from charity shops. Find your nearest charity shop .  
8. Re-use furniture and white goods such as washing machines and fridges. Find out more about purchasing or donating furniture or white goods.

In the Rochdale borough there are two organisations where residents can advertise their unwanted bulky items such as sofas, mattresses, carpets, beds and so on can rather than dumping them in landfill. 

• Freecycle -  A non-profit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

Ever thought about home composting?

Composting is a cheap, natural process that recycles your kitchen and garden waste into valuable food for your garden.

Up to 50% of what you throw away is organic waste, which means it rots away. This can easily be recycled at home in a compost bin. Composting allows you to recycle your organic waste and save it from going into landfill. The compost can then be used on your garden to improve the soil and help your garden grow.

You can buy subsidised home composters by calling 08445 714 444 or go to the Greater Manchester compostingwebsite.

Recycling saves energy

Manufacturing using recycled materials saves energy when compared to using virgin materials. For example making aluminium cans from recycled aluminium saves 95% of the energy required to make it from bauxite.

Energy saving facts .

  
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