Clayton Mitchell New Zealand First MP

The decision at the beginning of the year by local kerb recycling collectors to stop the pickup of glass from our commingled recycling bins has forced us to think hard about what we do with our glass products.

As a community who are pretty clued up on recycling, the public doesn't want glass going into landfill with other rubbish.

The initial revolt from the public saw Tauranga City Council get involved. Glass drop-off points were established, but many people still feel that a better solution is required. And we need to ask, what happens to all this glass we try so hard to recycle?

There is currently only one glass processing plant in New Zealand, located in Auckland. New glass product manufacturers, such as O-I NZ, buy the raw material from the plant and create new bottles. However, the high cost associated with processing means a lot of the country's glass still ends up in landfill.

New Zealand First and other likeminded Kiwis, including Tauranga-based waste minimisation consultant Marty Hoffart, propose we look at a deposit return system, similar to schemes already implemented in over 40 countries worldwide, including Denmark, Fiji, some US states and South Australia.

The system encourages responsibility from the moment the bottle is filled at the factory, through to the store that sells it, the customer who buys it and the depot that recycles it.

This type of stewardship programme can be undertaken with plastics, paper and many other materials that are currently going to landfill.

I am confident that, before long, this practical solution will be running in New Zealand alongside the recently-announced Tyre Stewardship Programme, which was implemented by the coalition government thanks to New Zealand First and the passionate people that support this great initiative.