glass packaging forum
making a
difference in
the community
Every year New Zealanders use around
240,000 tonnes of glass containers
which is equivalent to around 950
million glass bottles and jars of
varying sizes. That’s a lot of glass
and it’s great that over two thirds of
this already gets recycled. The best
possible end use for glass is recycling
it into new glass containers and the
Glass Packaging Forum works with
councils and communities around
the country to help collect glass so
that it is ‘ready for the furnace’.
However over the past seven years
we have also helped develop some
alternative uses for recovered glass
because life isn’t always perfect and we
know that glass bottles aren’t always
collected in a way that is going to make
them suitable for remanufacture.
In this ‘show and tell’ guide we
share some of the ways in which
we are helping to increase glass
recovery using the glass levies
raised from our members.
What’s the best way to collect
glass bottles?
Well we may be biased but the best way to collect
glass is by encouraging people to separate the glass
bottles by colour (green, brown and clear).
We have been working with councils and suppliers and
commissioned glass bottle banks for use at hospitality
venues, campsites and resource recovery sites etc
around the country.
26 bottle banks have been placed around the country
from Auckland in the north to Queenstown in the
south both in city and rural locations. One of the
additional benefits is that bottle banks provide an
opportunity to further educate the community to
separate glass by colour.
glass bottle banks
In the UK and other countries, lots of
people take their glass back to Bottle
Banks located at supermarkets or other
centres in the community. We have
been slowly reintroducing the concept
into New Zealand...
Fibreglass Glass Bottle Bank
These fibreglass bottle banks have three 240 litre
wheelie bins inside a surround for brown, green and
clear glass to be sorted by public when depositing
bottles into marked holes. Glass Bottle Banks installed
in permanent locations have taken only a short period
of time for the public to deposit bottles on a regular
basis. 25 of these glass bottle banks are now in place
around New Zealand.
Supplier: McFarlane’s Fibreglass Engineering
03 471 0623
Fibreglass Mobile Glass Bintainer
At the request of event organisers and councils,
we have introduced a light weight portable 'glass
bintainer' into the mix.
Horse of the Year Show – Hastings
These bintainers are suitable for use at events
because of their light weight and ability to be easily
relocated to venues that require temporary facilities.
However we are also finding that these are preferred
as permanent bottle banks. The bintainer locks your
wheelie bins in a fibreglass container designed and
manufactured in New Zealand in a colour of your
choosing. Green, clear and brown glass is put into
marked holes and captured in 240 litre wheelie bins.
The bintainer is suitable for use at sports grounds,
motels/hotels, retail/shopping malls, camping
grounds, golf courses, hospitals, petrol stations,
schools, restaurants, stadiums and parks.
Supplier: Tru-tech Fibreglass Industries Ltd
www.tru-tech.co.nz
resource recovery
facilities - glass pods
and bunkers
We have supported several councils
that have introduced glass 'bunkers'
or 'pods' at their Resource Recovery
Facilities to allow people to separate
their glass when they drop it off.
Glass Pods
Dunedin Council’s Glass Pods now collect around 16 to
18 tonnes of colour separated glass each month.
before
Glass Bunkers
Taupo District Council have extended their glass
bunker facilities so that more glass could be collected
to optimise processing and transport. Before the glass
bunkers were installed, glass bottles were 'tipped'
onto the concrete floor which meant colours got
mixed and glass was contaminated. The bunkers
collect around 200 tonnes of glass each year.
BEFORE
after
equipment to help
glass collection
Glass Funnel
We know that collecting glass separately might require
some additional equipment so we helped Marlborough
DC via O-I New Zealand to purchase a freestanding
hopper which can be fitted to the top of containers to
facilitate the loading of the glass. This removes the risk
of the material falling onto the surrounding ground
or accumulating on the top of the container. This has
resulted in additional quality glass being returned to O-I
for use in the furnace.
kerbside collections
We supported the design and
development of the 'separated at
source' bin which allows glass to be
kept separate from other recyclables in
one bin. This helps stop the breakages
and contamination which occur
when glass is commingled with other
packaging materials.
Wheelie Bins
Mouldings Unlimited is a small manufacturer which
designed the separated at source bin working with
TBL Solutions and initially Palmerston North Council.
Supplier: Moulding Unlimited
www.resourcerecovery.co.nz
We also helped Central Otago Wastebusters
buy glass recycling bins to extend collections
into eight additional communities in the
Central Otago area.
Recycling Bag trial at Waihi Beach
Waihi Beach is a community with a large proportion
of holiday homes resulting in a fluctuating
population which has had to travel to a recycling
centre some distance away to recycle its waste
packaging.
During April 2013 along with the Western Bay of
Plenty District Council the Forum helped fund a
kerbside trial to determine its effectiveness.
Some 825 households participated in the 5 week trial
using 60 litre plastic bags to collect their packaging
putting it out on the same days as for their refuse.
Approximately 70% of the material collected by
weight was glass. 75% participants indicated that
they would be happy to pay for the collection bags
to support such a service and it is likely that figure
would rise amongst householders still using the
recycling centre when the convenience of kerbside
collections is fully appreciated.
consultant: Waste Watchers Ltd
www.wastewatchers.co.nz
alternative uses
for glass
Not all glass collected is able to be
processed into new glass containers
either because of the way it is collected
or because the cost of returning the
glass to Auckland may be prohibitive.
When this happens, it’s important there
are other uses for the glass containers
so it doesn’t end up in the landfill.
Use in construction and roads
One of the first projects funded by the Forum in
2006 was to help develop the Transit M4 basecourse
specification for use of up to 5% crushed recycled glass
as an aggregate for use in basecourse and sub-base
products. Since then we have incentivised contractors
to utilize otherwise 'unusable' glass containers in their
aggregate mix.
Sports facilities
We have also funded a ground breaking piece of
research into the use of sand in the construction of
golf course greens and sports fields with a grant over
a period of three years to the NZ Sports Institute. The
trials have demonstrated the viability to use glass
sand as a topdressing medium for golf course greens.
public place recycling
In a recent survey conducted by
Horizon research, 85%1 ratepayers say
they have access to kerbside recycling.
However away from home it has been
more difficult to find recycling options.
We know that around 30% of glass
is typically consumed away from
home so the Forum has committed
to the Love NZ public place recycling
programme which it currently manages
on behalf of the government.
Public Place Recycling Bins
Working with councils we agreed the specifications
and design of Love NZ lids for standard 240 litre
wheelie bins which are being used around the country
at events. We adopted the internationally recognised
colours for recycling and that means blue bin lids
are used for glass collections (red for waste, yellow
for mixed recycling, green for organics). The design
features a clip mechanism to the wheelie bin. The
weight per bin lid is 3kg. The bin can be accessed from
either side. The bin lids are stackable and shipped in
units of 10.
Supplier: Moulding Unlimited
www.resourcerecovery.co.nz
1 Horizon Research surveyed 2050 respondents
nationwide in April 2013. The survey is weighted
to provide a representative sample of the NZ
population. At a confidence level of 95%, the
maximum margin of error is=/-2.2%
recycling at events
For the past three years we have
sponsored recycling and waste
management at the Classic Hits Winery
Tour. This has given us a firsthand
understanding of the need for effective
consumer awareness coupled with the
availability of recycling bins to get the
public to 'do the right thing' when they
are out and about.
Lantern Festival
Easter Jazz Festival
Restyle Hamilton
In addition we have worked with
councils and community groups up
and down the country to introduce
recycling at their events.
Horse of the Year
Smoke Free Rockquest
Classic Hits Wine Tour
Nationwide
Lantern Festival
Some of the
Councils GPF has
been working with1
Whangarei
Thames Coromandel
Waikato
Tauranga
Rotorua
Taupo
Auckland
Hamilton
Otorohanga
Ruapehu
New Plymouth
Wanganui
Palmerston North
Nelson
Westland
Queenstown
Gisborne
Napier
Hastings
Porirua
Upper Hutt
Hutt City
Wellington
Marlborough
Kaikoura
Christchurch
Ashburton
Timaru
Dunedin
Invercargill
1 Partners in the Love NZ public place recycling
programme
GLASS
ISN´T JUST A
CONTAINER...
IT CAN BE MANY THINGS
While returning glass to the furnace may be
the preferred option - if this is not practicable
there are always options other than landfill.
GOLF COURSES
Trials by The New Zealand Sports
Turf Institute tested the use of
recycled crushed glass in lawn
improvement, construction of golf
greens and in the top dressing.
Glass found to be satisfactory as a
alternative to sand.
filtration
Research and tests on glass as
a filter medium for waste water
treatment.
infrastructure
Satisfactory collection systems require
appropriate and adequate infrastructure
and the Forum has assisted in providing
support to numerous local authorities and
community recovery programmes.
roading
Supported Transit New Zealand in amending
its specification for MD4 material to enable
recovered crushed glass to be used in road
base.
collection bins
Development of a new separated at
source bin allowing glass to be collected
at kerbside in a separate compartment of
a recycling bin to stop the breakages and
contamination which occur when glass is
commingled with other recyclables.
Do you need any
funding assistance to
stop glass containers
going to landfill?
photo
: sandihurst winery
mulch
Wineries that have trialled glass
have all reported significant
gains in yield.
building slabs
Trials using both pre prepared
crushed glass or rolling over bottles
laid within the building profiles met
building requirements. A formal
engineering report is available.
Please contact :
[email protected]
GET IN TOUCH WITH
John Webber
[email protected]
www.glassforum.org.nz
glass packaging forum
Glass Packaging Forum Inc
PO Box 58110
Botany
Auckland 2163
: 09 271 0073
email : [email protected]
phone
www.glassforum.org.nz