Trafford Council expand plastic recycling
Trafford Council has announced the expansion of plastic recycling capabilities starting 14 October 2024.
© Council
For the first time, residents in Sale and the wider borough of Trafford are now able to recycle additional plastic items in their mixed recycling bins at home.
The change, which launched to coincide with National Recycle Week, means you can now recycle many more items, including:
Plastic pots such as yoghurt, soup, cosmetics
Plastic tubs such as margarine, laundry powder, chocolates
Plastic trays including black plastic trays, such as raw and cooked meat, fruit and veg punnets (all items must be clean and empty)
These items can now be recycled thanks to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) upgrading its recycling facilities to allow them to collect and sort a wider range of plastic packaging and their recent contract extension with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK.
Plastic films like crisp packets, bread bags, pet food pouches and carrier bags, still cannot be recycled.
Councillor Tom Ross, Leader of Trafford Council and portfolio lead for waste and recycling, said:
“Signing the biggest waste management contract in Europe with Suez has given us the stability and confidence to invest in our recycling facilities. We’re already in the top five authorities in the UK for recycling rates and this will help us to continue leading the way.
“With the government’s Simpler Recycling Policy on the horizon, we have taken swift action to prepare for the coming changes, to ensure we’ll be compliant when the new rules come in.
“These upgrades will keep up our momentum on recycling, giving us time to build our new, cutting-edge materials recovery centre in Manchester while supporting residents to recycle more easily.”
By April 2026, the government requires all councils in England to recycle a consistent set of materials as part of its Simpler Recycling Policy. This means that wherever you live in England you will be able to recycle the same at work and home.
Recycling rates published for 2021/22 showed that Greater Manchester is leading the way with household recycling rates rising to over 50 per cent, making it one of the best-performing city-regions in the country. The national average in England is 44 per cent. These additional positive changes to recycling can only help continue this positive trend.
