Recycling companies unable to cope with glass

Posted by Andrea Hogan on 7th August 2017

Glass recycling in New South Wales is at a crisis point with companies receiving more glass than they can handle an investigation has claimed.

According to a Four Corners investigation, set to air Monday 7 August 2017, recyclers are stockpiling glass with it cheaper for Australian businesses to import glass rather than recycle it.

One recycling company, Polytrade, spoke out as part of the investigation, saying it has been forced to store glass instead of recycling it.

The investigation comes just after the New South Wales State Government launched what it calls its biggest-ever anti-litter initiative.

The new NSW container deposit scheme will see the installation of more than 500 reverse vending machines which will accept recyclable drinking bottles, including glass bottles, in exchange for 10 cent per piece.

The NSW Government currently has a goal of reducing littering volumes in its state by 40 per cent by 2020. It is currently estimated that 160 million drink containers are littered in NSW each year.

 

Related articles