A NEW company has taken control over the operation of the borough's tips.

Suez was chosen by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) in March but only began managing the resource and waste system across the region from Saturday, June 1.

It comes as bosses look to increase the amount of rubbish which is recycled and divert as much as 96 percent of waste away from landfills.

SUEZ is set to offer residents improvements to their household recycling and will also recycle a wider range of items, including carpets and mattresses.

The firm will manage 1.1 million tonnes of municipal waste from over one million households, taking on two contracts worth a combined value of over £1bn.

These contracts involve the operation of 41 facilities including Bolton thermal recovery facility at Raikes Lane.

David Palmer-Jones, chief executive of Suez recycling and recovery UK, said his company was "delighted" to take on the contracts.

He said: "We have made over 50 social value commitments and are particularly excited about how our plans for funds raised through re-use initiatives will benefit the Greater Manchester Mayor's Charity and other community projects across the city-region. We very much look forward to playing our part in helping deliver the ‘Five Year Environment Plan’ for Greater Manchester."

Former Viridor staff working at the waste sites will see their contracts transfer to Suez.