What metal can be recycled at kerbside and what goes to the scrapyard?

What metal items go into my kerbside recycling bins?

The items accepted in your kerbside recycling will change depending on your local council.

Manchester City Council have allocated a brown bin for mixed metal, glass, and bottle-shaped plastic recycling. They accept the following metal items in your recycling collection:

  • Foil and foil trays
  • Empty aerosol cans
  • Tins and food cans

Note: if you crumple a food wrapper and it springs back into shape, it has been mixed with plastic and cannot be recycled with other metals. If it remains crumpled, it can be recycled.

Don’t forget to empty and properly rinse your recycling first – heavily soiled or poorly sorted recyclables can attract pests and even lead to entire loads being rejected and sent to landfill!

What metal items go to my local scrapyard

A local scrapyard, like Singleton’s Scrapyard in Openshaw, will accept recyclable metal items that cannot go into your kerbside recycling bins. The best news is that we will also pay you for the value of your scrap!

Here are just some of the metal items that can be recycled at a scrapyard:

  • Bicycle frames
  • Wire coat hangers
  • Shelves and brackets
  • Vehicles and car parts
  • Patio furniture frames
  • Fitness equipment
  • Wiring and cables
  • Pots and pans
  • Bedframes

Remember: you can take these items to a council recycling centre, but a scrapyard will pay you for the value of your metal, so don’t throw your money away and make sure you visit a friendly scrapyard instead.

What metals cannot be recycled?

There are some items that you can’t put in your kerbside collection recycling bins or take to a scrapyard. These are some examples:

  • Mirrors
  • Cooking utensils
  • Medical equipment like razors and syringes
  • Screws and nails, though other tools are fine

Our safety tips

Don’t forget to always wear safety gloves when handling metals. They will help protect you from sharp edges and can prevent serious injury.

We’ll be there to sort, weigh, and evaluate any scrap metal you bring to our easy drive-through scrapyard service in Openshaw, Manchester.

Get in touch for any more info

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