Waste & Resources

Waste and Resources Team

GMCA Waste and Resources Team 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 per cent of the UKs municipal waste. This is approximately 1.1 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 operates as a unitary authority and administers its own disposal arrangements so is not part of the Greater Manchester waste contracts. To find out about waste and recycling in Wigan, please visit the Wigan Council website.

To find information on recycling in your area or for your local recycling centre, visit Recycle for Greater Manchester, this is our public-facing brand we use to communicate about reuse, repair and recycling.

We are the largest waste disposal authority in the country, and became part of the GMCA in 2018 as part of the devolution agreement. GMCA receives funding from a levy on the nine Greater Manchester local authorities. The levy funds the operation of a network of waste and recycling management facilities in Greater Manchester.

Working in partnership with SUEZ UK

Following an 18 month procurement process, on 31st May 2019 GMCA signed new operating contracts with SUEZ for the management of Greater Manchester’s waste facilities. The two contracts include the operation of 41 facilities over 24 sites.

SUEZ UK developed an extensive set of 54 social value commitments which include three new Renew shops which opened in July 2021 on the household waste recycling centres. The shops sell pre-loved household items, and the money goes to two good causes; the Greater Manchester’s Mayor charity and the R4GM Community fund.

The Renew Hub at Trafford Park is the UK’s largest, newest and most unique reuse operation in terms of opportunity and scale. Hundreds of tonnes of pre-loved items which would have otherwise gone to waste are brought to the Hub for repair and resale, with all of the money going back to the local community.

The Waste and Resources team is responsible for monitoring the performance of the contract ensuring SUEZ UK manage the GMCA facilities according to the agreed contracts and are meeting the targets set out in the contract.

To find out how SUEZ are performing, view their latest annual report.