Image: Recycle for GM
Recycle for Greater Manchester are opening the doors to their recycling centre, solar farm and Renew Hub in 2024 to give Greater Manchester residents insight on how to live more sustainably.
In these free open days, visitors from across Greater Manchester (excluding Wigan) are invited to come behind the scenes and find out what really happens to our recycling, how the team upcycle and repair items at the Renew Hub and learn more about the workings of one of the North West’s leading solar farms.
Held over various days in February and March, these tours are designed to help people in our region understand the circular economy, and how they can contribute to reducing waste and carbon emissions.
Recycling Centre Open Days
Visitors will get to see behind the scenes at the Materials Recovery Facility at Longley Lane in Manchester to see how recycling is sorted and separated from over a million homes.
Discover how plastic bottles are sorted using near infra-red lasers. Find out how glass bottles and jars are given a clean using cyclones and watch how we turn your aluminium drinks cans and foil into biscuits (not suitable for eating)
Date: Thursday 22nd February 2024
Time: 2pm-4pm or 6pm-8pm
Date: Thursday 28th March 2024
Time: 10am-12pm or 2pm-4pm
The tour is open to any Greater Manchester resident (excluding Wigan) over the age of 7, but visitors between 7 and 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential due to limited numbers.
Book your place stating date & time here.
Renew Hub Open Days
Discover where the items donated by the people of Greater Manchester are repaired, upcycled and put back into use. The Renew Hub is the place where all the items that have been donated are checked, repaired or upcycled to give them a new lease of life.
After upcycling the items are allocated to one of 3 Renew shops or sold on the Renew eBay store. During the tour vistors will learn about the whole process, visit the large events space, see the items being allocated to the shops and see the eBay store. There will also be a chance to see and hear about the work of the Charity partners who upcycle and repair the items in the hub. There are further activities with the Recycle for Greater Manchester Education Team who will explain how people can be part of the circular economy recycling loop.
Date: Friday 23rd February 2024
Time: 10am-12pm
Date: Monday 25th March 2024
Time: 1pm-3pm
The tour is open to any Greater Manchester resident (excluding Wigan) over the age of 11, but visitors between 11 and 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential due to limited numbers.
Book your place here.
Bolton Solar Farm Tour
On this exclusive tour of Bolton’s Salford Road solar farm, you’ll learn how sunlight is converted into electricity to part power our region’s facilities and help towards our carbon reduction targets. Salford Road is the largest public sector owned solar farm in the North West and is linked to adjacent waste facilities and recycling centre, so you can learn how it’s all linked..
Date: Monday 19th February 2024
Time: 11am-12pm
Date: Wednesday 27th March 2024
Time: 1pm-2pm
The tour is open to any Greater Manchester resident (excluding Wigan) over the age of 7, but visitors between 7 and 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Booking is essential due to limited numbers.
Book your place stating date & time here.
