A little off topic, but since you mention it I’ve posted quite extensively about the glass recycling issue:
This one advocates using the good’ol kiwi crate and discusses some economics behind glass recycling in NZ.
This one talks about bottle deposits.
And This recent one talks about specific recycling initiatives.

In late Jan the Kapiti Council announced that they were to use glass in roading basecourse. So there is some hope. It comes down to thinking about how we use and consume (to nick the byline of a National Radio show). That’s why I think the “crate” link above in particular (although its a year old) is important.

Mike

Talking about glass containers:

Although I’m very seriously into “reduce”, my house is groaning under a whole army of washed, sorted and stacked “could be reused” with nowhere (yet) for them to go!

This situation is very different from the various standard and sturdy “reuseables” of my youth, and from the system that made them so.

We as a country will need to rethink this whole issue at some time … sooner rather than later would be good!

no recycling is done anywhere in NZ

and

only 45% of glass is recycled in NZ because it is uneconomic to ship glass from the South Island to Auckland

maybe you should think a bit before you make such strong, definitive and patently untrue statments eh?

But I completely agree that recyling is a feel-good activity and reduce and reuse come first.

Sustainability is defined as the ability to keep doing an activity indefinitely - anything that is a half-measure towards this (however well intentioned) just doesn’t fit this definition.

Call me a pedant, but I think the term is already being overused, and will soon lose all meaning in the public discussion. Sustainable activities should be the goal for everything we do, but only truly sustainable activities deserve the title IMHO.

Yup, if the prices are uneconomic that’s exactly where it goes.

From the Recycling Operators of NZ ( http://www.ronz.org.nz )

45% of glass is recycled, but “There is currently a limited capacity for recycling glass in New Zealand, and a substantial increase in recovery rates would require new markets to be found. Due to the low value of cullet, exporting is likely not to be a viable option”

“Transport costs, particularly from South Island locations, can make it uneconomic, in some instances, to ship cullet to Auckland for recycling.”

Translation: most glass is landfilled or in stored ‘glass mountains’ as it is uneconomic to do anything with it.

The same is true for most plastics, there is simply no market for them, and they quietly get dumped in landfill or ‘recycled’ offshore where they are burnt in open air.

Aluminium and steel are generally recycled as the end product is worth something. Paper I don’t know, but I assume it’s likely that low-filler paper like newsprint can easily be recycled.

Consumer recycling is a ‘feel-good’ measure; the emphasis should be on reducing consumption in the first place- lightweight refill packs, more steel and aluminium containers, and better plastic technology would be a good start.

What colour is the sky where you live, Kiwi? Is it black or is it white? No wishy-washy responses please!

(hint : you’re in the UK… so 95% of the time it’s…)

well, every week I put glass, metal and plastic in a blue box at my kerbside and the council take it away. Are you claiming that the council then secretly just put all the things that people think they are recycling into landfill? Are you a conspiracy theorist or something, or just spectacularly uninformed?

Yes, you’re right that e-waste is rarely recycled, but not never, occasionally there are special e-waste drop off events.

Yes I agree that “sustainable” has become a buzzword that is used for any remotely greener practice whether that practice is sustainable or not. I mean strictly speaking cars are not sustainable, but lets welcome small steps, eh, I can’t see the government phasing in ministerial horses and carts anytime soon.

Coal and oil aren’t the only sources of either plastics (which can come from a variety of hydrocarbon sources) or electricity. And reducing petrol consumption is a good step on the way to its eventual removal from transport.

How many government offices still use CRT computer screens?

I’ve seen very few CRTs at government sites in the last few years, but IT is still a very good candidate for power savings with energy-efficient servers and desktops and the knock-on savings on air conditioning. It also wouldn’t hurt to stretch out the lifecycle of hardware (thin client technology can help here).

the select committee report uses the term “sustainable”. russel’s use of “environmentally friendly” refers to one of his concerns - which just happens to be an aspect of “sustainability”. you may have heard that the greens (and all the other parties) also have social and economic policies.

i’m sure that a whole system approach to “sustainability” is not new to you. it’s a broad term. aided in this posts procurement context by reference to “measurable minimum sustainability standards”.

i cant find the link to a report last year (from your adopted homeland i think) that incinerater operators objected to local body recycling targets. intuition says that a system based on incineration will indeed remove key incentives for consumers (and govt’s) to purchase and dispose of products responsibly.

end of pipe solutions do very little to fix the problem. it’s acceptance that the “system” is ok. you’re just as good arguing that nz has so much underutilised land that continued landfilling wont be a problem.

cleaner production my friend, cleaner production. and it just happens to make business sense (and more so when carbnon is priced).

Mike