Apologies for Cross-Postings
If you have any suggestions on how NZ can respond to these glass recycling
problems, please email Jo@no.address (Jo Knight, CEO, ZW NZ Trust).
Thanks!
Gary
To: "Zero Waste Update" <the.editor@no.address>
Organization: Zero Waste New Zealand Trust
From: "Suzi Phillips" <the.editor@no.address>
Subject: URGENT ! Zero Waste E-News Bulletin #16
Date: Wed, 1 Dec 2004 12:05:06 +1300
Dear Zero Wasters,
Highlights of this Zero Waste E-news Bulletin are;
? Glass recycling dealt blow by price reductions for cullett
? Community groups also under siege from funding cuts and concern
about steel can recycling
1. Glass recovery and recycling in New Zealand has been dealt a blow
by the country?s only major glass recycler.
ACI Glass has a monopoly on processing large quantities of glass cullett
from around New Zealand and has just announced major price drops effective
from January
From that date the company will reduce the price it pays for all glass
cullett from $92 per tonne to $75 per tonne.
The company is also signalling a further substantial drop in the price
paid for clear glass cullett (effective on May 1) from $75 per tonne to
$10 per tonne.
The price drops will have major repercussions on the economic viability of
local government and community group glass recycling schemes around the
country, says Zero Waste New Zealand Trust chief executive, Jo Knight.
In the short term, contractors and community groups will be looking at
renegotiating contracts with their councils.
?This will put the assurances made in the Packaging Accord to the
test. Fifty per cent of councils in New Zealand signed up to the
Packaging Accord on the proviso that it was not going to cost them more.?
The Packaging Council is meeting to try and put in place some short and
long term solutions, but they have a very short time span in which to work
before the price changes come into effect.
?This is a nasty surprise for all parties, and the short time frame means
there is a need for interim co-operative solutions, such as collecting and
land-banking glass in the meantime. This is a strong case for extended
producer responsibility and/or container deposit legislation, in the New
Year,? says Jo.
This problem illustrates New Zealand?s vulnerability to market forces and
the real need for an adequately funded flexible infrastructure, including
over-arching waste legislation.
?The worst case scenario is a breakdown in glass recycling in New Zealand
with an increase in glass to landfill. Although glass is an inert
material in a landfill, recycling glass is a behavioural change that was
hard to achieve and it would be a devastating backward step, if that was
lost," she says.
Please email us with your views.
Best Regards,
Suzi Phillips
Communications Co-ordinator,
Zero Waste NZ Trust
PO Box 33 1695
Takapuna
Auckland
Ph 09-486-0738
Gary Liss
916-652-7850
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com
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