What goes in each bin?

From Monday, 14 October 2024, you can put a wider range of plastics in your mixed recycling bin (light green bin with blue lid). The government requires all councils in England to recycle the same materials by April 2026.

• Changes to plastic recycling

Each of your household bins is for different types of items.

• Dark green bin: rubbish bin for general waste.
• Light green bin with blue lid: this mixed recycling bin is for your cans, tins, plastic bottles, plastic tubs, plastic trays, plastic pots, aerosols, foil and foil trays, glass bottles and jars.
• Blue bin: clean and dry paper, cardboard and juice carton recycling.
• Brown bin: food, teabags and garden waste, including leaves, twigs and grass cuttings.

Find which bin it goes in – Recycle for Greater Manchester website

How you can help

Across the borough, thousands of residents are recycling, but not everyone is getting it quite right. Putting just one wrong item in your recycling bin can contaminate a full load, costing taxpayers money. 

Please help by making sure you're getting it right - your efforts make a huge difference.

• All non-recyclable waste will need to be placed in your dark green bin.
• You can leave additional mixed recycling waste for collection in an open container where the contents can be easily seen. This must be left by the side of your mixed recycling bin on your scheduled bin collection day. 
• We can collect a small quantity of dry flattened cardboard boxes if they are too big to fit in your paper bin. If they cannot be cut down to fit in your bin, remove any polystyrene or packaging, fold them to make them as manageable as possible, keep dry and leave them next to your paper bin on your scheduled collection day. We will not be able to collect any wet cardboard as it will not be accepted for recycling.
• Pop your empty drinks cans, glass, plastic bottles, aerosols, clean aluminium food trays, plastic pots, tubs and trays into your light green mixed recycling bin. 
• If you can easily remove a lid from a plastic bottle, please remove it and place it in your general waste bin. If the lid is attached to the bottle, make sure it is securely fastened before recycling it.
• If you have a takeaway, you can place your dry empty cardboard boxes and paper wrapping in your blue paper bin. Grease or leftover food placed in the wrong bin could mean a contaminated load or rejected bin.
• Polystyrene boxes and plastic takeaway containers can't be recycled. From 1 October 2023, businesses are no longer able to sell items such as polystyrene food containers and plastic cutlery. The ban also includes polystyrene cups and food containers, single-use plastic cutlery, and single-use balloon sticks. There is also a restriction on the supply of single-use plastic trays and bowls. Find out more about the single-use plastics ban
• If you have any leftover food, place it in your brown bin and we can turn it into compost. Better still, save it for the next day and where possible, reuse any plastic containers or Tupperware.
• Make sure you check if you can recycle your wrapping paper or cards before you put them in the bin. If you can scrunch wrapping paper then it can be recycled in your blue paper bin. Simple paper wrapping can be recycled but foil or glitter-decorated paper can't and needs to go into the green general waste bin. Sticky tape and decorations such as ribbons and bows can't be recycled, so please remove them before recycling any wrapping paper.
• Choose reusable cups, plates, napkins and cutlery instead of single-use or disposable ones.
• If you've bought yourself a new TV or large appliance, please remember you may be able to donate or sell your old one. Anything with a plug can be reused or recycled. You can check your nearest electrical recycling point or book a bulky waste collection
• Don’t bin batteries or electrical items at home as they can start fires. Store them safely until you can take them to the recycling centre or find your local electrical recycling points
• Please take additional non-recyclable waste to a rubbish tip and recycling centre
• We treat any waste left next to a dark green bin as fly-tipping

Recycling A-Z guide at Recycle for Greater Manchester

Want to learn more about recycling?

We can provide a free interactive recycling lesson for primary schools and local businesses/community groups. This fun and engaging session covers the importance of recycling wisely and the chance to learn more about our food heroes who love to help eliminate food waste.

• Find out more about recycling lessons