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. With this handy guide, you’ll be able to become a recycling genius in no time. But don’t expect a Blue Peter badge when you’re finished!
According to Salford City Council:
Here’s what you CAN put into your recycling bins:
Blue bin:
- • Paper and junk mail
- • Cardboard
- • Newspaper and magazines
- • Envelopes
- • Catalogues and yellow pages
- • Corrugated packaging
- • Shoe boxes
- • Rinsed tetra Pak cartons
Brown bin:
- • Rinsed glass bottles
- • Plastic bottles (like shampoo bottles without the lid)
- • Rinsed jars
- • Food and drink cans
- • Clean foil and foil trays
- • Empty aerosol cans
Pink lidded bin:
- • Grass and hedge cuttings
- • Leaves and small branches
- • Flowers and plants
- • Bread, cakes, pastries
- • Fruit and vegetables
- • Dairy products like cheese and yogurt
- • Meal leftovers
- • Rice and pasta
- • Eggs and shells
- • Raw and cooked fish and meat (including bones)
- • Tea bags and ground coffee
- • Pet food
23 litre outdoor food bin (if you have one):
- • Bread, cakes, pastries
- • Fruit and vegetables
- • Dairy products like cheese and yogurt
- • Meal leftovers
- • Rice and pasta
- • Eggs and shells
- • Raw and cooked fish and meat (including bones)
- • Tea bags and ground coffee
- • Pet food
Here’s what CANNOT go into your recycling bins:
Blue bin:
- Plastic bags
Brown bin:
- Yogurt pots
- Food trays
- Plastic bags
Pink lidded bin and 23 litre outdoor food bin:
- Plant pots
- Soil
As well, your council has a few extra notes to keep in mind when sorting out your waste.
Break up or squash down any pieces to make more room in your bin (we recommend doing this after a stressful day at work).
To avoid contamination, make sure to rinse out any plastic bottles and glass jars (just like your milk bottles).
When putting your food waste into the bin, make sure it’s in a compostable liner. If you don’t have one, just throw your food waste directly into your pink lidded bin, or 23 litre outdoor food bin if you have one.
For more of Salford City Council’s recycling details, just follow the link here.
Where does it all go?
In Salford, 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.
Salford’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.
