March 30, 2023 In Grants and Funding

Bintainers to keep holiday hot spot glass out of landfill

Rotorua Lakes Community Board Chair Phill Thomass and Rotorua Lakes Council Waste Minimisation Officer Meghan Cooper with one of the bintainers at Lake Rotoiti.

Rotomā and Rotoiti holiday makers and residents will be able to easily recycle glass bottles and jars thanks to funding from the Rotorua Lakes Community Board and a grant from the Glass Packaging Forum (GPF).

Rotorua Lakes Council has so far installed and will service two public place glass recycling ‘bintainers’ in East Rotoiti, with three further bins due for installation at Rotoiti and Rotomā over the next month. This has been possible thanks to funding from the Rotorua Lakes Community Board and a $6,390 grant from the GPF. 

Rotorua Lakes Community Board Chair Phill Thomass says the bintainers allow residents and holiday makers to more easily recycle their glass bottles and jars, rather than having to take them to the recycling centre in Rotorua, some 30km to 40km away.

“Many properties have kerbside rubbish and recycling services, but about 250 properties – mostly privately managed holiday accommodation – do not have glass recycling due to the challenges of managing bins or crates during short stays, and visitors to the area don’t know where to recycle glass,” he says.

“As a result, there’s been a lot of recyclable glass going out with general rubbish. During the busier summer months, the council has been providing temporary targeted glass collection stations, which have been well used but contamination has remained a challenge at times.”

Phill says the bintainers will provide a permanent and more effective option for residents and holiday makers.  “We’re grateful for the support from the Glass Packaging Forum and Rotorua Lakes Council staff to achieve a better solution for our community.”

GPF Scheme Manager Dominic Salmon says keeping glass from landfill so it can be recycled into new containers is the Forum’s primary purpose, with the bintainers achieving just this.

“These bintainers have proved very successful in many other areas. They not only make it easy for people to recycle glass, but get them to sort the glass into clear, green, and brown, which makes is highly recyclable,” he says.