The glass is greener on Waiheke Island

Auckland’s first community resource recovery park has been given an $18,000 boost for its glass recycling, just in time for summer, when the volume of green glass grows substantially.

The funding, from the Glass Packaging Forum, will help the Waiheke Community Resource Recovery Park install a hook bin for the collection of recycled green glass. The park is run by Island Waste Collective, a social enterprise owned by the Cleanstream Charitable Trust.

Island Waste Collective Waste Minimisation and Community Engagement Michael Tavares says a 10 tonne hook bin can be filled in a week during a busy summer period.

“The new bin will increase the quantity and quality of glass recovered and fits our kaupapa of never moving materials until we have got them to their highest value, greatest density and extracted from them the most value for labour,” he says.

While residents on the island have access to co-mingled (everything in one bin) kerbside recycling offered by the Auckland Council, many (including businesses) make use of the recovery park, Michael says.

Glass Packaging Forum Scheme Manager Dominic Salmon says keeping glass separate from other recyclables is best practice as it reduces the chance of contamination.

“The GPF advocates for the use of best practice glass collections where it is kept separate from other materials. This project is a good long-term solution for the volume of green glass being collected and can be duplicated for the other colours in the future.”

The Forum’s grants are funded by voluntary levies paid by its members, with over $3.7 million in grants funded to date to projects which improve glass recovery and recycling in New Zealand.