Recycling possible for plastic items

Press, 21 April 1982, Page 6

Recycling possible for plastic items

Unwanted plastic items, such as ice-cream containers, may soon be collected and taken ,by rail to Otaki to be melted down for re-use. Members of the Christchurch Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee’s resource recovery sub-com-mittee were told by its chairman, Cr D. J. Stanley, yesterday, that a North Island firm was “screaming out” for the ice-cream containers.

The possibility of shipments of these and other plastic items to Otaki would be discussed during a visit there on April 30,' he. said. Plastic Granulators/ of Otaki. has offered . to. buy plastic items,, including the ice-cream containers, for* $l2O a tonne. These would be melted down for use by industries. •.

Cr Stanley said that there were many • different varie-

ties of plastics, and they would have to be sure of the exact ones wanted otherwise wastes could be mixed.

The project engineer, Mr A. C. Vogan, said once it was known that something could be done with the plastic items, leaflets could be given to people using the Metropolitan Refuse Station, saying that the items could now be accepted for recycling. Cr Stanley said that he had heard of. a Christchurch firm offering to pick up recyclable items free from homes round the city. “It is totally, unexpected that private enterprise:'has honed in on us,” he told the meeting.. , . Sub-committee Ji members ’were told that revenue from resource recovery at. the Metro Refuse' Station .was up 12.6 per cent in March, compared with thej previpus

month. The sale of recyclabl'es,. including scrap metal and,bottles, had brought in $1797.

Mr Vogan said that more than 50 tonnes of newspaper remained in stock awaiting completion of the Canterbury Paper Company’s new plant. No alternative outlet had yet been found. Markets for all other materials at the resource recovery centre were stable.

A second-hand baling machine for packing recyclable items was now being overhauled ready for use at the resource recovery centre.

The sub-committee has received eight submissions and comments on resourcerecovery activities at the planned Eastern Refuse •Station. Further information will be sought, from several of the. groups and individuals who submitted ideas.