Resource recovery almost breaks even

Press, 17 November 1982, Page 6

Resource recovery almost breaks even

The Christchurch Metro Refuse Station’s resource recovery centre in Parkhouse Road was almost breaking even, the Metropolitan Refuse Disposal Committee’s resource recovery sub-com-mittee heard yesterday. The project engineer, Mr A. C. Vogan, said that the centre had cost the committee about $lOOO a month over the last six months. The gap between payments and receipts 'was narrowing and had closed for September. Closing this gap would depend on the market for materials, a saving on transport costs, the encouragement of more recycling, and continued co-operation from staff in reclaiming recyclable materials from the floor of the main refuse building. Mr Vogan said that the centre’s Project Employment Programme had finished in April. Three extra staff were then appointed to the station as an experiment to see if the centre could be run economically as part of the whole opera’tion. Mr Vogan said that this amalgamation of centre and station staff had , been of benefit, as the men could work where they were needed most? The resource recovery centre had lost about $20,000 in the six months from October 1,1981, to March 31,1982. compared with about $6OOO

from April 1. 1982, to September 30. 1982. The marked difference in losses was mainly a result of a 59 per cent saving in wages because of the amalgamation of staff, helped by an 18 per cent increase in Cr D. C. Close (Christchurch City) said that the result was very satisfactory. It had established a good precedent for the other stations when they opened. Cr E. C. Britnell (Paparua County) said that there had been a vast improvement in the centre’s management. It was nothing like the Cinderella it used to be. Cr Britnell said that he felt the giving of discounts when people dumped recyclables should be phased out eventually. But Mr , Vogan said that customers would probably be lost if discounts were not given. Cr Close said that every tonne taken to the recycling centre did not go on to the floor of the main building, or have to be compacted. Cr K. Lowe (Christchurch City) said that the public needed a carrot. If discounts were stopped, many people would not bother to use the station. "The only way to look at recycling is not from money but from an environmental point of view,” she said. Councillors, after some discussion, recommended

that the present system be extended for the period of the next industrial agreement, and then reviewed. Open day A recent open day at the station attracted 1081 vehicles, compared with the 440 normally on a Sunday, said Mr Vogan. This was 64 per cent higher than the design loading for the station, but there had been no problem. Three staff had been busy unloading and stacking recyclable materials all day. Mr Vogan said that in spite of the half-charges, takings totalled $B3B, compared with $7OO, as the average for the previous four Sundays. Long-term effects of the open day would not be known unless a survey was taken. Cr Britnell said that a watch would have to be made to see if the improvement remained. Very often people took a give-away, but did not follow it up. Mr Vogan said that the Sunday after the open day had been slightly above average. Recyclables The resource recovery centre had sold about $2500 worth of materials in October, said Mr Vogan. This included $l5OO for paper and cardboard. $5OB for scrap metal, and $4OO for bottles.