Waste levy

The GMCA is responsible for the management and disposal of municipal waste from Greater Manchester (formerly known as Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority). We handle around 4% of the UK’s municipal waste. This is approximately 1.02 million tonnes of waste and recycling each year from over a million households from the metropolitan districts of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford (Wigan operate as a unitary authority and administers its own disposal arrangements).

Each of the councils are responsible for the collection of household waste. GMCA receives funding from a levy on the 9 Greater Manchester local authorities to pay for the processing and disposal of this waste. The levy funds the operation of a network of waste management and recycling facilities in Greater Manchester including:

• 20 Household Waste and Recycling Centres
• 7 Transfer Loading Stations where council vehicles deliver household waste and recycling
• A Materials Recovery Facility where mixed recycling is sorted
• 5 Mechanical Treatment and Reception Facilities where general waste is prepared and delivered to the Energy Recovery Facility in Runcorn
• A Thermal Recovery Facility
• 3 Renew retail shops
• 1 Renew Hub

The GMCA Waste and Resources team oversee the operation of the facilities through contract arrangements with Suez Recycling and Recovery UK.

Greater Manchester Recycling and Landfill Diversion rates

The recycling rate for waste from households in Greater Manchester in 2022/23 was 50.2%.

The landfill diversion rate in 2022/23 was 98.7% (this means only 1.3% of household waste was sent to landfill in 2022/23.  The majority of non-recyclable household waste is sent to an Energy from Waste plant in Runcorn where it is burnt to generate electricity and steam).

In support of these increasing the recycling and landfill diversion rates, behavioural change and education campaigns are delivered under our public-facing brand, Recycle for Greater Manchester (external website).

In partnership with our contractor, SUEZ, the GMCA Waste and Resources team are committed to delivering an extensive social value plan to create value from Greater Manchester’s waste.

Budget for 2024/25

The table below outlines the budget and the waste levy for this financial year and the breakdown of how the money is spent.

Further information

Recycling for Greater Manchester (external website)

Telephone: 0161 778 7110

Email: gmwaste@greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk