SUEZ team exceeds target with 210 trees planted in Rochdale

Wednesday, 14 January 2026 23:55

By David Murphy

A group of volunteers from waste and recycling firm SUEZ have planted more than 200 new trees in Rochdale, surpassing their annual pledge and bringing their total contribution across Greater Manchester to over 1,700.

Ten SUEZ staff joined forces with environmental organisation City of Trees on Tuesday 2 December 2025 to plant 210 native trees near Healey Foundation Primary School. The activity forms part of SUEZ’s social value commitment to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), through which the company operates Rochdale’s household waste recycling centre.

Since 2019, SUEZ has pledged to plant 200 trees each year across the city region. This latest effort pushed them beyond their target, with over 1,700 trees now planted in total.

The new trees will contribute to improved air quality, wildlife habitat support, and carbon absorption, while helping to manage surface water in the area. The planting was carefully coordinated with City of Trees to ensure appropriate species selection and long-term ecological benefits.

Karen Thompson, SUEZ’s Partnership and Community Engagement Manager, said the volunteers were proud of what they had achieved.

“It was incredibly rewarding to spend the day outside and see the difference we could make in just a few hours,” she said. “Knowing these 210 trees will grow and contribute to a healthier Greater Manchester is a fantastic feeling.”

Councillor Tricia Ayrton, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change and environment at Rochdale Borough Council, welcomed the contribution.

“Thank you to SUEZ and City of Trees for their support and work in supplying and planting such a large number of native trees in Rochdale,” she said. “These important initiatives improve the urban landscape by expanding green spaces and enhancing biodiversity often within densely populated residential areas.”

She added that the trees would complement an earlier planting initiative at the same location, supporting the council’s target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.