To cope with the expected influx of glass at the city's two transfer stations, glass storage bays and recycling drop off areas have been expanded.
Previously, private operators would have taken collected glass directly to Waste Management's recycling facility, so new provision at the transfer stations has been required to handle the increase in demand.
Tauranga City Council has announced a grant of just over $30,000 from the Glass Packaging Forum has helped with the costs of enlarging concrete pads and glass storage bays at the Te Maunga Transfer Station.
Council's acting manager resource recovery and waste Cathy Davidson said the expansion allowed nearly double the previous capacity of glass to be stored in colour-separated glass bays before being transported to Auckland for recycling into new glass products.
"We are very grateful to the Glass Packaging Forum for their generous contribution," she said.
"In additional response to the end of private kerbside glass collections, Council has also proposed to provide a rates-funded kerbside glass collection service to start as soon as possible this year. This glass collection proposal is up for public consultation this month as part of the Council's draft Long Term Plan 2018-2028."
Council also has a proposed a full kerbside collection service in the Long Term Plan, which would provide rubbish, organic (food and/or garden waste) and mixed recycling collections – including glass.
However, if adopted, this full service would not commence until 2021 due to the time it takes to set up and implement a city-wide service.
"The interim proposed kerbside glass collection has the potential to divert as much as 6000 tonnes of glass per year from landfill. Glass is infinitely recyclable and should be kept out of landfill," Davidson said.
To learn more about the proposed rates-funded interim glass, and full kerbside collection services, go to tauranga.govt.nz/rates-funded-kerbside-collections
Members of the public who want to have their say on the Long Term Plan between March 16 to April 16, go to tauranga.govt.nz/long-term-plan.
