Kerbside collection pioneer backs wheelie bin for glass
The man central to the introduction of kerbside recycling in Invercargill has strongly urged the Invercargill City Council to stick to its proposal to provide a third household collection bin for glass.
Ian Beker previously managed Southland Enterprises disAbility Enterprises for 25 years, during which it earned the recycling contract it still holds under its new name, Recycle South.
The Invercargill City Council’s 10-year plan proposes to introduce a blue-topped household bin specifically for glass, which at present is included in the yellow-topped general recycling bin, causing serious broken glass contamination of the wider recycling collection.
The upfront capital cost of the new service would be $1.65 million in the coming financial year, and an ongoing operational cost of $620,000. This would add nearly $30 to the annual targeted rate per household for recycling, increasing it to $273.
The council calculated that the change would mean about 90% of the glass collection would be able to be reused, but public consultation has revealed closely divided opinions.
Of 108 submitters to the draft plan, 46% supported the change but 45% favoured the other presented option, retaining the recycling system but with the addition of bottle bank collection points.
In an individual submission, Beker said that when kerbside recycling started in Invercargill in 2003, glass was separated at the kerb, which reduced broken glass contamination.
But a move to transhipping from 2010 meant glass was tipped in with other recycling into concrete bunkers at other collection points, where it was pushed around, reloaded and shipped again to Invercargill, and ”back on to a concrete floor again’’.
The upshot was about 40% to 50% of bottles breaking, “and that contaminates the product totally’’.
“In 2003-05, I was getting up to $1100 a tonne for milk bottles, $800 a tonne for cardboard – premium prices. I could choose who I could sell to.’’
Beker told councillors on Friday that, as a result of transhipping damage, “I couldn’t get over $350 a tonne for milk bottles, and cardboard went to minus – you guys had to pay that at one stage – because it was contaminated with glass’’.
He said he had told everyone in his own circle that it was better to put glass into the red-topped general waste bins than the recycling ones. “Now we have a system where glass can be sorted and processed. I strongly urge you, it’s common sense, go to a separate bin for glass.”
Asked about the alternative, he said bottle banks had in the past encouraged mice and vandalism, and people weren’t putting just glass in them.
“No,’’ he said. “It doesn’t work.’’
The council was considering public feedback.