Oldhamers can now drop off walking stick, frames, and crutches at recycling centres across Greater Manchester, in a scheme which is hoped to save the NHS thousands.

More than 20 drop off locations across the city-region, including household waste recycling centres and NHS hospitals, will take the items.

Walking aids have been identified in the top 20 of medical devices for carbon intensity due to their aluminium or steel construction, making them a priority for reuse within the NHS.

It’s estimated that each hospital in Greater Manchester could save up to £46,000 a year and carbon emissions equivalent to driving around the M60 motorway 157 times if just 40 per cent of walking aids currently in circulation are returned to the NHS.

According to the NHS, a patient using a refurbished walking aid is unlikely to notice the difference, but it produces around 87 per cent fewer carbon emissions than a new one.

How to return your walking aid

Residents can find their nearest or most convenient site by typing their postcode into the Recycle Now online locator form, provided by national environmental charity WRAP.

Thanks to a new partnership between the NHS and Recycle for Greater Manchester, it’s now even easier to return walking aids without having to make a trip back to the hospital.

The new initiative has been launched for National Recycle Week and is part of a vision to be carbon neutral by 2038.

It’s also hoped the scheme will help to protect NHS resources.

What health bosses say

Lesley Hadley, chair of the Greater Manchester Allied Health Professions Council, said: “Fortunately, many of our patients only require walking aids for a short period of time but this can mean they end up lying unused at home, long after they have served their purpose.

“Returned items will be checked, cleaned, and refurbished where possible so they can be used by another patient.

“This will help to improve access for patients, save money for the NHS and reduce carbon emissions.”

This new recycling scheme is here to stay.

Drop-off locations across the city-region – both household waste recycling centres and NHS sites - will continue to accept walking aids, after Recycle Week ends on Sunday, October 23.