Waste and recycling centres

• Locations
• Items that can be recycled at the centres (including information about asbestos and trade waste)
• Battery recycling
• Waste recycling permit scheme

Locations

Wigan Borough has three waste and recycling centres in the following locations:

KirklessMakerfield Way, Higher Ince, WN2 2PR01942 825755

Slag LaneLeigh, WA3 1BZ01942 261633

Chanters Chanters Industrial Estate, Atherton, M46 9BP01942 897949

Opening hours (inc. Bank Holidays):

• Summer - everyday, 8am to 7:45pm (from last Sunday in March)
• Winter - everyday, 9am to 5:45pm (from last Sunday in October)

The recycling centres will close early if there is queuing traffic coming up to the closing time. Please allow extra time.

Sites closed: Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Access restrictions apply – see our waste and recycling centre terms and conditions

Abusive behaviour towards members of staff will not be tolerated and may result in being denied access to any of the recycling centres.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and CCTV is in place across all sites to monitor vehicle visits.

Items that can be recycled at the centres

To ensure your items are recycled correctly, please separate your waste before you visit a recycling centre.

Please note: Petrol, diesel, trade waste and sharps (clinical waste) are not accepted at any of the recycling centres.

Battery Recycling

Batteries are often found in products like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, radio-controlled toys, Bluetooth devices, shavers, electric toothbrushes, power tools, scooters, kid’s plastic toys, remote controls, and even e-cigarettes etc.

• Research suggests that at least 25% of the UK population appear to be binning batteries, and nearly a third (29%) of those people who dispose of electrical items have put at least one of them in a household bin or the wrong recycling container in the past year
• Many people are unaware that there are embedded batteries in some electrical waste - the electrical items most commonly disposed of within the last year are electric toothbrushes (39% of respondents), device chargers/powerbanks (24%) and shavers/trimmers (22%). Other items commonly disposed of included electric toys, power tools, e-cigarettes and Bluetooth earbuds
• Of the people who throw batteries in the bin, most say they don’t know what to do with them, and only 10% of those that bin batteries are aware of the fire risk. Those binning batteries appear more likely to be younger and female, particularly for loose batteries
• People who are aware, or who are made aware, of the fire risk are less likely to bin batteries.

Batteries SHOULD NOT be disposed of in any of the kerbside bins. Find your nearest battery recycling outlet from the Recycle Now Locator (external link).

Waste recycling permit scheme

A valid permit must be obtained online via the Wigan Council website for residents using a vehicle other than a car to deposit household waste from their own property, or for garden waste. 

Permits can be applied for on the same day you wish to take your waste, as they will be sent to your computer or mobile device by email within 2 hours of making your order online.

Waste permits are valid for one visit only within seven days of issuing. Each household is entitled to 12 permits within a 12 month period, starting from the date the first permit is requested. The number of permits issued to any vehicle or premises will be monitored.

You can request 2 types of permits:

• Apply for a standard waste permit
• Apply for a garden waste permit (Only for very large gardens that can demonstrate that they regularly generate large amounts of garden waste throughout the year)*
• Request to be re-sent an existing waste permit (as long as the permit has not already expired or previously been used).

*If you only have a small amount of garden waste which exceeds one bins worth, then please apply for a standard waste permit, and select garden waste from the drop-down menu.

Please note: Access to sites will be removed for people misusing the waste recycling permits.

To find out more:

• View our waste permit frequently asked questions (FAQs)
• Read our waste permit terms and conditions.

Hire vehicles

Hire your vehicle then order your free waste recycling permit. When attending the recycling centre, please take your hire vehicle documents, waste permit and driving licence with you.

Local recycling points 

• Find a local recycling point (external link)

Full or damaged recycling points

If you find a recycling point that is full or damaged, you should report it to the relevant organisation. See contact details below:

• The glass recycling banks are serviced by Glass Recycling (UK), call 01226 727298 or email [email protected]
• Clothing/shoe banks are serviced by different charities and the contact details should be displayed on the bank itself. If there are no contact details provided, you can contact the waste and recycling team with the location of the bank and the type of recycling it's used for
• Can recycling banks are serviced by Wigan Council, you can contact the waste and recycling team with the location of the bank.

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Your opinions about our service are very important to us.

Complete our online customer satisfaction survey (external link). The survey should take a few minutes to complete and will help us to improve the services we deliver to you.