Kerbside collection services no longer accept glass in recycling bins from today, but council controlled rubbish collection would be able to restore it, says Tauranga City Council environment Committee Chair Steve Morris.
The decision will likely result in more glass ending up in landfill, and it has created concern in the community and the council, says Steve.
When a city has privately-led kerbside collection services, as Tauranga does, it is vulnerable to business decisions.
'We totally understand that privately-owned and -operated collection companies need to make business decisions based on economics. But as a city we need to look at the impact of this decision on the environment too,” says Steve.
The 2018-2022 Long Term Plan proposes a council controlled rubbish and recycling collection service which will accept glass for recycling – if it has public support in upcoming the public consultation process.
'In order for Council to introduce this service, the proposal needs to be accepted into the Council's 2018-2028 Long Term Plan, which opens for public consultation on 16 March,” says Steve.
"We hope the community will have their say about our proposed rates-funded service.”
If accepted into the 2018-28 Long Term Plan, the rates-funded service will not begin until 2021 due to the lead time required to deliver such a comprehensive service across the whole city.
But the Council will be considering a paper next Wednesday on whether to provide a rates-funded glass collection service sooner as an interim solution.
'For now, residents are encouraged to take their glass to either the Maleme Street or Te Maunga transfer station for recycling,” says Steve.
Glass received at the city's transfer stations is taken to Auckland where it is recycled into new glass products. Glass can also be recycled at Waste Management Ltd's glass recycling stations.
The proposed rates-funded waste and recycling collection service for discussion in the Long Term Plan will provide mixed recycling, organic (garden and/or food waste) and rubbish collections to all Tauranga households.
It will enable and encourage all residents to recycle more and send less waste to landfill. The service would accept glass for recycling as well as aim to recycle a broader range of materials, such as all plastics, says Steve.
Glass can also be recycled at Waste Management Ltd's glass recycling stations.
More information
Proposed rates-funded kerbside waste and recycling service – https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/our-future/projects/rates-funded-kerbside-collections
2018-2028 Long Term Plan – https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/council/council-documents/long-term-plans/long-term-plan-2018-2028
Waste Management's glass recycling station locations – https://orders.wastemanagement.co.nz/site/webpages/recycling-location
4 comments
Broken contract
Posted on 01-03-2018 12:58 | By Johnney
We have paid Waste Management for a recycling service. They have renigged on this. Disgusting!!! If the government charged a 5c duty with a refund scheme on each bottle the problem would disappear
We should all protest...
Posted on 01-03-2018 16:47 | By simple.really
and continue to throw glass in the recycling. All my neighbours are! Let the whole city do it!!
When...
Posted on 02-03-2018 13:11 | By penguin
...is my refund for the proportion of the recycle collection charge I have already paid Waste Management in advance to take my glass? And the ''network'' of glass recycling centres must be a joke (refer to the link in this report). This has to be a cost-cutting exercise in disguise!
Council doesn’t worry about economics
Posted on 03-03-2018 22:42 | By Really
Interesting to see Steve Morris say that council doesnt need to make a decision based on economics he is obviously used to spending other peoples money now. Doesnt give much hope that a council run scheme wouldnt end up costing us double the current costs.
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