A Cleaner, Greener Place To Be

Greater Manchester has a long and distinguished heritage of free thinking and innovation. Continuing this tradition, GMWDA is working with one of the country’s leading waste management companies, Viridor, and infrastructure experts John Laing Ltd, to implement a groundbreaking plan that will radically alter the way we think about and deal with the waste we create.

In short, this strategy will produce:

  • A world class approach to dealing with waste – the first project of its kind in the UK.
  • Long term environmental benefits – dramatically reducing the waste we landfill and therefore the CO2 we produce.
  • Wide reaching economic benefits – bringing over 100 new jobs and over £300 million of investment to Greater Manchester.

A world-class approach

Thanks to the commitment shown by the people of Greater Manchester, we now recycle nearly 30% of our waste.

With the help of the latest technology, proven in Europe but never before seen in the UK on this scale, we will be able to recycle up to 50% of all waste by 2020.

Virtually all of the improvements outlined by the proposal will be made to existing sites, and the new facilities will be clean and odour-free.

The improved facilities will also provide a recycling and waste service, which is easier to use, better working conditions for waste operatives, and certainty for Greater Manchester’s waste disposal for the next 25 years.

How will the strategy help the environment?

Everyone recognises that, for the sake of the environment, we cannot continue to bury our waste in landfill sites.

The GMWDA waste strategy will provide an alternative to landfill by:

  • extracting useful materials and recycling or composting them; and
  • generating green electricity and replacing fossil fuels.

This forward-thinking approach will reduce the region’s reliance on virgin materials, and dramatically decrease the greenhouse gases produced by landfill.

How will it all work?

The integrated service proposed in GMWDA’s strategy will involve:

  • upgrading Household Waste Recycling Centres across the districts of Greater Manchester;
  • building or redeveloping Transfer Loading Stations;
  • developing new ‘clean’ Materials Recovery Facilities to sort the recyclable materials collected by local services;
  • building state-of-the-art Mechanical Biological Treatment and Anaerobic Digestion facilities;
  • the construction of new enclosed In-Vessel Composting facilities to treat garden and kitchen waste, alongside the continued use of existing garden waste centres;

With everyone playing a part to create a comprehensive network of waste services, we can work towards a brighter future, and provide a practical solution to the issue of waste for the next 25 years.

What is happening in my area?

To find out what is happening in your area, please click on the links below:

How can I find out more about this technology and how it works?

More information can be found within our Technology Overview

Where can I go for more information about specific sites?

Further information can be found by visiting www.manchester-consultation.co.uk or through our Frequently Asked Questions.