Recycling centres in Stockport, Greater Manchester, are reminding residents that they cannot accept food waste because the sites are not licensed to handle it. This update from Recycle for Greater Manchester clarifies that items like meat, fish, dairy, and bread must stay out of local tips.
Residents should instead use their kerbside green bins or home composting for all food scraps. While there is a fee for garden waste, Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council provides food waste collection for free using a green bin or a dedicated kitchen caddy.
The reminder comes as the council begins selling new £59 garden waste permits for the 2026/27 period, which starts on April 1, 2026. Officials have warned that anyone trying to take a mixed bag of food and garden waste to a recycling centre will have to put it in a non-recyclable container or may have the load rejected.
These rules are in place because local recycling sites do not have the specific environmental permits required to process food waste safely. To ensure food waste is turned into soil improver rather than sent to energy recovery as general rubbish, households are encouraged to keep using the weekly doorstep collections.
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