Recycling rules for Rochdale
Based on Rochdale published guidance · Last verified September 2026
Under Simpler Recycling, councils across England are standardising collections. Here's what currently goes in each bin in Rochdale.
Search what goes in your bins →Quick answers for Rochdale
Polystyrene: Not accepted in Rochdale's recycling bin
Can't be recycled; not in the blue bin.
Cardboard: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bin; keep dry, flat-pack packaging.
Glass bottles and jars: Goes in your recycling bin
Light green bin with blue lid.
Tins and cans: Goes in your recycling bin
Light green bin with blue lid.
Aerosols: Goes in your recycling bin
Light green bin with blue lid.
Drink cartons: Goes in your recycling bin
Blue bin; juice and food cartons.
Your bins in Rochdale, by colour
Container colours as published by Rochdale. Some homes get a different container. See the notes.
Green bin (dark green)
General waste
Blue bin
Paper and cardboard
Brown bin
Food and garden waste
Free compostable bags for the kitchen food waste bin
What goes in each bin
Recycling
Accepted
Metals
- Tins and cans · Light green bin with blue lid
- Aerosols · Light green bin with blue lid
- Foil and foil trays · Light green bin with blue lid; clean trays
Plastics
- Plastic bottles · Light green, blue lid; lid on if attached
- Plastic tubs · Light green bin with blue lid
- Plastic trays · Light green bin with blue lid
- Plastic pots · Light green bin with blue lid
Glass
- Glass bottles and jars · Light green bin with blue lid
Paper & Card
- Paper · Blue bin; clean and dry
- Cardboard · Blue bin; keep dry, flat-pack packaging
- Pizza boxes · Blue bin; remove any leftover food
- Takeaway cardboard boxes · Blue bin; dry and empty
- Wrapping paper · Blue bin; only if you can scrunch it
- Christmas cards · Blue bin
- Envelopes · Blue bin
Other
- Cartons · Blue bin; juice and food cartons
Not accepted
- Polystyrene · Can't be recycled; not in the blue bin
- Plastic takeaway containers · Can't be recycled
- Ribbons and bows · Can't be recycled; remove from wrapping
- Sticky tape · Can't be recycled; remove from wrapping
- Wet cardboard · Will not be accepted for recycling
Common mistakes
- Plastic bags→ goes in General Waste · Dark green bin, or a supermarket recycling point
- Nappies→ goes in General Waste · Disposable nappies contain plastic
- Sanitary products→ goes in General Waste · The majority contain plastic
- Foil wrapping paper→ goes in General Waste · Dark green general waste bin
- Glitter wrapping paper→ goes in General Waste · Dark green general waste bin
- Plastic bottle lids→ goes in General Waste · If you can easily remove the lid
- Leftover food→ goes in Food Waste · Brown bin
- Batteries · Recycling centre or electrical points; fire risk
- Electronics · Recycling centre (tip) or specialist organisations
- Plastic toys · Recycling centre (tip) or bulky collection
- Plastic garden furniture · Recycling centre (tip) or bulky collection
- Foil→ goes in Recycling · Light green bin with blue lid, not the blue bin
- Bread bags and crisp packets · Soft plastics: supermarket recycling points
Tips (16)
- • Wrong items: bin not emptied
- • Blue bin: dry paper and card
- • Blue lid bin: mixed recycling
- • Keep cardboard dry
- • Flat-pack packaging
- • Pizza boxes: remove any food
- • Dry empty takeaway boxes
- • Wrapping paper: scrunch test
- • No foil or glitter paper
- • Remove ribbons and bows
- • Remove sticky tape
- • Fasten attached bottle lids
- • Extra: use open container
- • Lids down, waste inside
- • Bins out before 7am
- • Batteries: tip, not the bin
Garden Waste
Accepted
- Garden waste · Brown bin
- Leaves · Brown bin
- Twigs · Brown bin
- Grass cuttings · Brown bin
- Real Christmas trees · Chop up; trunk thinner than your wrist
- Teabags · Brown bin
- Leftover food · Brown bin; turned into compost
Not accepted
- Plant pots · They don't compostInstead: Dark green bin
- Hose pipes · They don't compostInstead: Dark green bin
- Christmas tree base · Remove it before the tree goes inInstead: Dark green bin
- Thick Christmas tree trunk · Trunk must be thinner than your wristInstead: Christmas tree recycling point
Tips (11)
- • Brown bin: food and garden
- • Leftover food: brown bin
- • Teabags go in brown bin
- • Plant pots don't compost
- • Hose pipes don't compost
- • Tree: remove base, decorations
- • Tree trunk thinner than wrist
- • Bin lid needs to close
- • Tree base: dark green bin
- • Lids down, waste inside
- • Bins out before 7am
When are bins collected in Rochdale?
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.
Rochdale doesn't move bin collections for bank holidays, so your usual day stands. Christmas and New Year weeks can still differ, so check the council's site for those. Your neighbours can vote on the actual day on BinBosh if it changes.
No streets in Rochdale on BinBosh yet — be the first to add yours, and your neighbours can adopt it instead of setting up their own.
Frequently asked questions
What bin does polystyrene go in Rochdale?
In Rochdale, polystyrene can't go in your recycling bin. Can't be recycled; not in the blue bin.
What bin does cardboard go in Rochdale?
In Rochdale, cardboard goes in your recycling bin. Blue bin; keep dry, flat-pack packaging.
What bin do glass bottles and jars go in Rochdale?
In Rochdale, glass bottles and jars go in your recycling bin. Light green bin with blue lid.
What bin do tins and cans go in Rochdale?
In Rochdale, tins and cans go in your recycling bin. Light green bin with blue lid.
What bin do aerosols go in Rochdale?
In Rochdale, aerosols go in your recycling bin. Light green bin with blue lid.
What goes in the recycling bin in Rochdale?
Rochdale's recycling bin accepts tins and cans, aerosols, foil and foil trays, plastic bottles, plastic tubs, plastic trays, and more. Light green bin with blue lid.
What goes in the garden waste bin in Rochdale?
Rochdale's garden waste bin accepts garden waste, leaves, twigs, grass cuttings, real christmas trees, teabags, and more. Brown bin.
What can't be recycled in Rochdale?
Items not accepted in Rochdale: polystyrene, plastic takeaway containers, ribbons and bows, sticky tape. Polystyrene — can't be recycled; not in the blue bin.
Helpful guides
Source: Rochdale council website. Check your council's site for the latest updates.
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