Recycling rules for Manchester
Based on Manchester published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Here's what currently goes in each bin in Manchester.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Manchester
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Manchester's recycling bin
Not recyclable kerbside.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bin — crush down to fit.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Brown bin.
Food waste: Manchester has a separate food waste collection
Takes raw or cooked fruit and vegetables, raw or cooked meat and fish, including bones, bread, cakes and pastries and more.
Shredded paper: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bin.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Brown bin.
Your bins in Manchester, by colour
Container colours as published by Manchester. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Green bin
Food and garden waste
Green is the food waste colour in 15 of the 49 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Green is the garden waste colour in 45 of the 114 councils with a checked garden waste colour.
What goes in the food waste bin →What goes in the garden waste bin →
Grey or black bin
General waste
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Paper & Card
- Cardboard boxes · Blue bin — crush down to fit
- Paper and shredded paper · Blue bin
- Newspapers, magazines and catalogues · Blue bin
- Unwanted books · Blue bin
- Envelopes and junk mail · Blue bin
- Greetings cards and wrapping paper · Blue bin — no glitter
- Toilet and kitchen roll tubes · Blue bin
- Pizza boxes · Blue bin
Other
- Drinks cartons and Tetra Pak · Blue bin — rinse
Plastics
- Plastic bottles · Brown bin — empty
- Plastic pots, tubs and trays · Brown bin — empty
Metals
- Foil and foil trays · Brown bin — empty
- Empty aerosol cans · Brown bin
- Tins and cans · Brown bin
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · Brown bin
Not accepted
- Plastic film and carrier bags · Not recyclable kerbsideInstead: Take to supermarket recycling point
- Crisp packets · Not recyclable kerbside
- Pet food pouches · Not recyclable kerbside
- Coffee cups · Lined with non-recyclable plastic
- Bubble wrap · Not recyclable kerbside
- Polystyrene · Not recyclable kerbside
- Glittery wrapping paper · Glitter contaminates paper
- Bottle tops · Put in general waste bin
- Nappies · General waste only
- Batteries · Contains hazardous materialsInstead: Take to recycling centre
- Electrical items · Not accepted in recycling binsInstead: Take to a recycling centre
- Toothpaste tubes · General waste
- Drinking glasses · General waste
Common mistakes
- Carrier bags→ goes in General Waste · Take to supermarket recycling point
- Coffee cups→ goes in General Waste · Plastic lining makes them non-recyclable
- Bottle tops→ goes in General Waste · Not accepted in Manchester recycling
- Crisp packets→ goes in General Waste · Foil-lined, not recyclable kerbside
- Batteries · Take to recycling centre
Tips (12)
- • Paper and card in blue bin
- • Glass and cans in brown bin
- • Flatten all cardboard
- • No plastic bags or film
- • No coffee cups
- • Remove bottle tops
- • No glittery wrapping paper
- • No polystyrene
- • Bottles go in brown bin
- • Tetra Pak in blue bin
- • No crisp packets
- • Rinse bottles and cans
Food Waste
Accepted
- Raw or cooked fruit and vegetables
- Raw or cooked meat and fish, including bones
- Bread, cakes and pastries
- Dairy
- Egg shells
- Teabags and coffee grounds
- Pet food
Not accepted
- Compostable packaging · General waste
- Coffee pods · General waste
- Coffee cups · General waste
- Kitchen roll · General waste
- Tissues · General waste
- Pet waste · General waste, including cat litter and dog waste
Tips (9)
- • Use compostable caddy liners
- • Free caddy liners from council
- • Shared with garden waste
- • Meat, fish and bones are fine
- • Pet food goes in too
- • Egg shells and dairy are fine
- • Teabags and coffee grounds
- • No compostable packaging
- • No pet waste or cat litter
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Flowers and plants
- Leaves
- Grass cuttings
- Hedge clippings
- Hedge trimmings
- Twigs and small branches
- Weeds · No Japanese knotweed or Himalayan balsam
Not accepted
- Japanese knotweed
- Himalayan balsam
- Cat litter · General waste
- Dog waste · General waste
- Compostable packaging · General waste
- Plastic film · General waste
Tips (8)
- • Shared with food waste
- • Green bin takes food too
- • Twigs and small branches only
- • No Japanese knotweed
- • No Himalayan balsam
- • No cat litter or dog waste
- • No compostable packaging
- • No plastic film or bags
How Manchester compares
- Manchester’s lists say toothpaste tubes do not go in its recycling (“Toothpaste tubes”). Of the 36 councils whose lists say either way, 29 take them.
Food waste in Manchester
27 of the 162 councils whose food waste guidance we have checked collect food waste but do not say it is weekly.
The government’s rule for England: “by 31 March 2026, local authorities will be required to collect the core recyclable waste streams from all households in England. This includes introducing weekly food waste collections for most homes, unless a transitional arrangement applies” Read it on gov.uk
Which councils collect food waste weeklyNext door
On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Manchester; in Cheshire East, collections stay on the usual day.
In Bury the garden waste bin is brown (green here) and the food waste bin brown (green here).
In Rochdale the garden waste bin is brown (green here) and the food waste bin brown (green here). On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Manchester; in Rochdale, collections stay on the usual day.
In Tameside the garden waste bin is brown (green here) and the food waste bin brown (green here). On bank holidays, that week’s collections move a day later in Manchester; in Tameside, collections stay on the usual day.
Neighbouring councils we have checked: Cheshire East, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside, Trafford.
When are bins collected in Manchester?
This page covers what goes in each bin. Collection days are set by the council and vary by street. See how to find your bin collection day, or browse streets by postcode to see schedules your neighbours have added.
In Manchester, a bank holiday pushes that week's collections back by a day: after a Monday holiday, Monday's bins go out on Tuesday, Tuesday's on Wednesday, and so on. BinBosh adjusts your dates automatically, and your neighbours can vote on the actual day if it differs.
No streets in Manchester on BinBosh yet: be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
How we checked this page
We checked this guidance against Manchester’s website in September 2026.
Source: Manchester council website. Check your council’s site for the latest updates.
Frequently asked questions
What colour are the bins in Manchester?
In Manchester the food waste and garden waste bin is green. Manchester also lists a blue bin for paper and card, a brown bin for metal, glass and hard plastic containers, and a grey or black bin for general waste. Green is the food waste colour in 15 of the 49 councils with a checked food waste colour.
Where does glass go in Manchester?
Glass goes in the recycling bin in Manchester (“Glass bottles and jars”).
Do bin collections change on bank holidays in Manchester?
In Manchester, a bank holiday pushes that week's collections back by a day: after a Monday holiday, Monday's bins go out on Tuesday, Tuesday's on Wednesday, and so on. BinBosh adjusts your dates automatically, and your neighbours can vote on the actual day if it differs.
What goes in the recycling bin in Manchester?
Manchester’s recycling bin takes “Cardboard boxes”, “Paper and shredded paper” and “Newspapers, magazines and catalogues”, among other things.
See the full recycling listWork for Manchester? See how BinBosh helps councils →
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