Oldham recycling centre to begin reopen

A number of household waste recycling centres across Greater Manchester will reopen from Saturday 2 May, with some restrictions and new measures in place to protect the health and wellbeing of residents and staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

At last week’s Greater Manchester COVID-19 Emergency Committee, the nine councils that make up the Greater Manchester Waste Authority agreed to reopen some recycling centres.

The decision was taken in accordance with Government guidelines and is based on staffing, accessibility, and the agreement of traffic management plans with local authorities. Reopening is being carefully planned and managed, with the involvement of Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

Among the criteria being taken into account are staffing arrangements at waste disposal facilities operated by SUEZ, with more staff deployed to handle the increased volume of waste and recycling picked up during household bin collections.

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “I want to thank the people of Greater Manchester for their patience while these facilities have been closed. At every stage of this process we’ve taken decisions based on the official guidance, which has been about limiting non-essential journeys and reinforcing the Stay At Home message.

“Now that the Government guidance has been updated, we have taken a collective decision to reopen some of our centres. There will be localised traffic management in place to control queuing, with each council taking steps to ensure that centres can reopen and operate safely.

“While we are reopening centres, this is not a return to normal. We would ask the public to limit their journeys and only travel to a household waste and recycling centre if it is absolutely essential to do so.

"If the situation becomes unmanageable we may have to reassess this decision, but that is not something we want to do and, I hope, will not become necessary. Let’s everyone stay safe and look after each other at this difficult time.”

These are the local centres that are open:

• Oldham: Arkwright St. open Monday to Sunday 8am to 6pm
• Rochdale: Chichester St. open Saturday and Sunday 8am to 6pm
• Middleton: Spring Vale open Monday to Sunday 8am to 6pm
• Tameside: Bayley Street, Stalybridge Monday to Sunday 8am to 6pm

In order to control the number of vehicles accessing the centres at any one time, a traffic control system will be introduced based on odd and even number plates. It will work on a four week rota to limit the amount of traffic visiting the centres and limit the potential for staff and the public to be exposed to the virus.

Number plates ending with odd numbers - one, three, five, seven and nine - will be allowed on the days shown below, while number plates ending with even numbers - zero, two, four, six and eight - will be allowed on the others:

These arrangements are subject to change, and residents should visit www.recycleforgreatermanchester.com for the latest information.

Centres will be accepting bagged general waste only, and will be open to Greater Manchester residents who show proof of address, such as a council tax, gas, or electricity bill. Social distancing measures will be in place, and the number of cars allowed on to the sites will be limited, with one person allowed out of their vehicle to dispose of their waste.

Staff will be unable to assist with unloading and no pedestrian access will be permitted.

Doorstep collections for general waste continue as normal throughout all boroughs, and people are advised to visit recycling centres only if absolutely necessary.

Cllr Andrew Western, GMCA Lead for the Green City-Region, said: “The vast majority of people across our city-region have followed the Government’s advice, staying at home to help limit the spread of this virus and help frontline NHS staff and carers do their jobs. The new measures in place are part of that same effort, so we’re asking people to be sensible and help us reopen in the safest way possible.

“I want to thank all of the waste collection teams who’ve adapted to this current situation and continued to provide a bin collection service to our residents throughout this period. We recognise that there have been challenges, but there’s no excuse for illegally disposing of waste and creating a potential health or environmental hazard.”

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