Manchester City Council

Bins, rubbish and recycling Bins and recycling at Christmas and New Year

Bin collection days

The days your bins are emptied should now have returned to their usual schedules.

Check your bin days.

Real trees (artificial trees can't be recycled)

You can recycle your real Christmas tree in January, after removing any lights, decorations, stands and/or wooden bases.

Your options: 

Charity Just Helping will come and collect your real tree from your home, for a donation to charity. The money raised will go to good causes in the area including St Ann's Hospice, Francis House and We Love Manchester. You can book now. 

You can chop your real tree up and put the pieces in your GREEN bin for collection on any green bin day in January. If you do not have a large green bin, you can leave your Christmas tree in front of your property on any green bin day in January. 

If your Christmas tree hasn't been collected, please report it here: Report a missed Christmas tree collection

You can drop your real tree throughout January at: 

If you live in the city centre, you take your real trees for recycling at:

You can take your tree to your local tip / recycling centre.

If you live in a flat or apartment, please speak to your caretaker or building manager. If this is not possible, please send an email to: Christmas.Tree.Manchester@biffa.co.uk with your name and address, a description of the location where you'll leave the tree and when you'll be putting it there. We will collect it during January. Please do not place the tree behind any locked doors or gates. 

Cardboard (including boxes)

Cardboard and paper should be put in your blue recycling bin. Please ensure you crush down boxes and large bits of cardboard to fit as much in your bins as possible.

Please remove all plastic packaging, bubble wrap and polystyrene first, and put those items in your grey general waste bin.

Wrapping paper and greeting cards

You can recycle most greetings cards and wrapping paper in your blue paper and card bin. You can also recycle them at your local tip / recycling centre.

But:

  • You can only recycle greetings cards and wrapping paper if they’re entirely made out of paper. To find out if the wrapping is made of paper, try to scrunch it into a ball. If it stays scrunched, it can be recycled
  • Some wrapping paper is made out of foil, has a plastic coating, or includes non-paper decorations like glitter, gold or silver coloured shapes, and other plastics. None of these can be recycled. You can tear off any glittery parts or non-paper decorations and put them in your grey general waste bin
  • Make sure you also remove any bows or ribbons before recycling your wrapping paper.

Food

Your Christmas food leftovers, including meat bones, can be put in your green bin, container or box. Please make sure all packaging is removed.Don't forget that the foil trays from pies can be recycled with any other foil in your brown recycling bin. Read more advice on food waste. 

Plastic tubs and trays and glass bottles

In your brown bin or container you can recycle many Christmas related items, including:

  • Empty plastic tubs - including those used for chocolates 
  • Empty plastic trays - including those used to hold meats, fruit and veg punnets 
  • Empty foil and foil trays, including those used for takeaway food
  • Drinks cans and glass bottles
  • Glass food jars 

There are some plastics that we can't recycle including plastic film, carrier bags, crisp packets or pet food pouches. You should put these in your grey non-recyclable waste bin. 

Electrical items can't be recycled

Tips (recycling centres)

Any items that you can't fit in your bins can be taken to a tip / recycling centre. Get more information on tips / recycling centres, including locations.

Recycling and zero carbon

By recycling as much as possible, we can help Manchester to become a zero carbon city by 2038. Read more about Zero Carbon Manchester.