More storage means more recycled glass for Alexandra Wastebusters

The increase in glass recycling in and around Alexandra has seen the Alexandra Wastebusters operation become a hub for the area, requiring greater capacity to store glass for transport.

Glass from the town and surrounding settlements has increased over the past three years, culminating with a large influx following the COVID-19 lockdown. A larger storage area was therefore required, with the Glass Packaging Forum awarding a $25,000 grant for the construction of a concrete pad for glass storage bunkers.

Alexandra Wastebusters Operations Manager Al Dickie says the new storage, which is under construction, will have multiple benefits. “They will allow more efficient on site operation, ease of transport through to the hub at 5R Solutions in Christchurch, and mean there is less contamination.”

GPF Scheme Manager Dominic Salmon says the project is another example of sensible infrastructure creating the efficiencies required to get glass out of the South Island to be recycled. “It’s through working with organisation like this that we will achieve our goal of over 80% capture of all glass to market by 2024,” he says.

Previous grant investment by the GPF in a hub and spoke model has seen a steady increase in tonnage recovered from the South Island. This strategy was developed to overcome the issues of a far flung population and the logistical challenges of efficiently transporting glass north.