Recycling rubbish

Press, 30 August 1977, Page 20

Recycling rubbish

Sir, — Your correspondent T. H. Duston has called those who favour the recycling of rubbish “naive.” Does he include Alex Harvey Industries, Pacific Steel and the Plastic Institute of New Zealand in this category? They all advocate more recycling. In a world where resources are being rapidly

depleted the Labour Party shows foresight and responsibility in advocating resource recovery. The present metropolitan rubbish disposal scheme will cost S7M to introduce. and will merely compact and bury garbage. In the Swedish city of Orebro a survey showed that between 80 anil 90 per cent were willing to participate in voluntary household recycling. — Yours, etc.,

D. J. ROWLANDS August 25, 1977.

Sir, — I agree with T. H Duston that' recycling rubbish is neither simple nor immediately profitable. What he does not seem to realise is that our present method of rubbish disposal — burying it — is very expensive too. Last year the City Council spent over SIM on rubbish disposal. The proposed metropolitan refuse disposal scheme (in which rubbish would be compacted or shredded before being buried) is estimated to cost S7M over the next few years. This, if anything, is a “white elephant.” The city cannot avoid spending money on rubbish disposal; the Labour Party is determined that we should get some return on the money spent by recovering useful materials. If, by recycling, we reduce our over-all rubbish disposal costs, we shall save ratepayers’ money and save some of New Zealand's resources. — Yours, etc., DAVID CLOSE. August 27, 1977.