15th May, 2007

Glass Forum asks councils to think carefully before introducing mixed/co-mingled recycling collections

The future of New Zealand’s kerbside recycling will be discussed at a workshop in Wellington today. Since a number of Auckland councils have started or announced their intention to introduce co-mingled collections where materials are collected mixed at the kerbside and sorted at a centralized Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), this issue has become hotly debated.

Speaking at the workshop John Webber General Manager of the Glass Packaging Forum explained why he is concerned about this steady progress towards mixed materials collections which include glass.

“If glass is mixed with paper, plastics and cans at the point of collection, there is not a separation system which currently exists in the world which will separate that glass back out into glass which will meet the specification of O-I New Zealand which utilizes the vast majority of our recycled glass to make new glass containers. Going down the co-mingled route will simply jeopardize what is an iconic recycling material.”

“I know that technology is improving all the time and you will hear today from recycling operators who want to bring the best to New Zealand - there is no escaping the fact that nowhere in the world does a recovery facility exist that is capable of delivering the vast proportion of glass to the quality required for glass making here.”

Webber says that research supports his concerns and says New Zealanders shouldn’t just repeat the mistakes which other countries have made. Research conducted by Auckland based economics consultancy Covec in conjunction with global environmental consulting service ERM concludes that:

“Councils should proceed with considerable caution before introducing a co-mingled collection system…despite international shifts towards greater use of co-mingling, the experience to date does not demonstrate that it is the optimal choice.”

Webber says that this isn’t just a waste issue but has major issues for Auckland’s ability to manage its energy use and Greenhouse Gas emissions because using recycled glass requires significantly less energy than using raw materials.

“We know that some councils which are adopting co-mingled collections don’t intend the glass to be sent back to Auckland for reprocessing but will use the glass locally in roads or construction. However if a substantial part of the glass recycled by 1.3 million people in the Auckland region is rendered unfit for glass making, that could have a huge adverse impact on our environmental performance.”

Webber said that today’s workshop provides an excellent opportunity to bring together companies operating materials recovery facilities in New Zealand and around the world; local council officials who make the decisions about what gets recycled and how and the recyclers who convert the recovered materials into new products:

“We all want the best recycling system for New Zealand so we have a common purpose but I am yet to be convinced that mixing glass containers with other materials at point of collection then using an automated system to separate them is right for the environment, the economy or society.”

The report is available on: www.packagingaccord.org.nz/GlassPackagingForum.php

ENDS

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