As of 1/05/05, the price per tonne for clear recycled glass in New Zealand was slashed from NZD 75 to NZD 10, making it uneconomic for councils & recycling companies to collect it and raising the fear of mountains of waste glass. Packaging Council of New Zealand director John Webber said in April/05 that he was confident the New Zealand Packaging Accord could come up with a solution by the 28 April. However, no resolution was reached in the meetings, apart from an "agreement in principle by all parties to resolve the matter" and as of 2/05, continued discussions had failed to find a solution. Until a solution emerged, councils were looking to stockpile waste glass rather than send it for recycling, triggering worries about a potential mountain of bottles & other glass. This in turn has revived interest in mandatory deposits on drink containers.
