There is an expectation from the community including patrons at hotels and bars that recycling will be taking place as it does for them when they are at home. While this is a specific expectation, most consumers recognise that there is a need for all businesses to do the right thing for the environment.
Is your restaurant or bar recycling all its glass bottles? Last year New Zealanders consumed around 225,000 tonnes of glass packaging or over 845 million glass bottles.
Our recycling rate is getting better and at 72.6 percent it’s on a par with the European average, but there is still 67,000 tonnes of bottles/jars not being collected.
Every glass bottle can be recycled and sent back to O-I in Auckland for remanufacturing into new glass bottles. This process can happen again and again but only if empty glass bottles are put in the recycling bin.
The Packaging Forum operates two voluntary product stewardship schemes for glass packaging and for public place recycling which are funded by industry. Funding collected helps increase glass recycling including hospitality outlets. If you aren’t sure, check with your waste service provider.
The glass packaged goods industry in New Zealand can only continue to operate free from legislation as long as it can demonstrate that its voluntary product stewardship scheme is growing in membership.
There are some really great examples of consumers expectations being met by the hospitality sector ensuring recycling of glass at events.
Through excellent education awareness WOMAD recycled 9.7 tonnes of glass and Splore 2016 recycled 5.3 tonnes.
These projects are having great results and show that if everyone worked together, we would easily achieve our target of 78 percent glass recycling rate by 2017.
Please seriously consider giving your support to the Glass Packaging Forum.
For more information contact John Webber at john@glassforum.org.nz.
IS YOUR HOTEL ACTING ENVIRONMENTALLY?
