Recycling rules are a lot like navigating public transport on a hangover – confusing, frustrating, and a little bit overwhelming. But we’re here to change that! We’ve laid out what you can and can’t recycle, as well as some general bin rules that may have been lost in translation.
According to Rochdale Borough Council:
Here’s what you CAN put into your recycling bins:
Light green bin with blue lid:
- • Rinsed food tin and drink cans
- • Rinsed plastic bottles
- • Rinsed glass bottles and jars
- • Clean kitchen foil and foil trays
- • Aerosols
Blue bin:
- • Paper and shredded paper
- • Cardboard
- • Food and drink cartons
- • Junk mail
- • Books
Brown bin:
- • Garden waste
- • Raw and cooked meat and fish – including bones
- • Raw and cooked fruit and vegetables
- • Leftovers from your plate
For more of Rochdale Borough Council’s recycling details, just follow the link here.
Where does it all go?
In Rochdale, your paper and card are taken to a facility where it’s sorted and graded (but not into Hogwarts houses). It’s then transported to a reprocessing facility that recycles it into new products. According to Recycle for Greater Manchester, these new products are then sold – with 51% of recycled paper and card sold to UK markets and 7% sold to EU markets. The rest goes to other world markets outside of the EU.
Rochdale’s mixed recycling is taken to a Materials Recovery Facility in Manchester. There, your plastic bottles, tins, glass jars, and drink cans are all separated. It’s then all put together and ready for the recycling process. 66% of recycled plastic bottles are then sold to UK markets, and 33% are sold to EU markets. 100% of your glass bottles, jars, aerosol cans, food cans, drink cans, and foil were then sold to UK markets (Recycle for Greater Manchester).
All your food and garden waste is taken to an in-vessel composting facility in the UK. What’s that? It’s basically one huge compost that can break down everything in just six weeks. The compost is then used in the UK as a soil improver.
If you’d like to learn more about where your recycling goes, just follow the link here.
We hope this helps uncomplicate your local recycling rules and makes it easier to sort through your waste. We know recycling isn’t the answer to the waste crisis, but it’s a step in the right direction. Happy recycling!
*This information is up to date as of 16th March 2022.
