All that glitters is not glass

Press, 24 March 1977, Page 20

All that glitters is not glass

The dumping of household rubbish at glass collection centres in Christchurch may ijeopardise the reclamation activities of the AHI glass products group. The group’s conservation manager (Mr John Webber), of Auckland, says that he has had complaints from the truck drivers who service the centres.

“The trouble is that people are using the centres to dump their household rubbish. As well as glass they are leaving newspapers, boxes, cans — everything but the kitchen sink.”

The drivers were spending too much time sorting out the glass and the disposal of the rubbish was a problem, said Mr Webber. “All this takes time, and is threatening the viability of the reclamation system.” ‘The majority of Christchurch people are using the

i centres correctly, and i jappeal to the minority to follow their example.” Mr Webber also expressed (concern about people taking refundable bottles from the centres. Drums and gates had also been removed. The conservation officer of AHI in Christchurch (Mr Vem Parker) said that refundable bottles left at the centres were smashed and recycled with the other glass. “People place their refundable bottles in the centres as their contribution to charity,” he said.

The AHI group paid $1 to charily for even,- tonne of glass collected, and did not want other people to make personal gain from the gl<ss collection centres, he said. No attempt was made by his company to put the refundable bottles back in circulation.