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2010 'Mass Balance' Recycling Data
The Packaging Council today released the latest data about how much paper and packaging is consumed in New Zealand and collected for recycling.
Overall New Zealand recycles 56% of the paper and packaging it consumes. The average New Zealander now recycles 161kg of paper and packaging each year.
This “mass balance data” has been compiled annually by the Packaging Council since 1994 to track recovery levels and trends of paper and packaging waste sent to landfill. The accuracy of the data has been continually improved during that time and the methodology is reviewed each year in light of international best practices.
MATERIALS |
CONSUMPTION
(TONNES) |
COLLECTION
(TONNES) |
COLLECTION AS % OF CONSUMPTION |
ALUMINIUM |
7,716 |
3,712 |
48% |
GLASS |
251,664 |
166,576 |
66% |
PAPER |
815,300 |
483,900 |
59% |
PLASTICS |
156,348 |
38,459 |
25% |
STEEL |
13,536 |
9,218 |
68% |
TOTAL |
1,244,564 |
701,865 |
56% |
Important Notes for the 2010 Mass Balance Data
In 2010 a number of key changes were made to the methodology:
The paper sector (under the Paper Forum) now combine both paper (e.g. newsprint and office paper) (excluding tissue paper) and paperboard packaging in their mass balance figures, which accounts for the significant increase in the overall consumption and recovery tonnage and the paper consumption and recovery tonnage on the attached graphs.
The aluminium and steel figures no longer include post-industrial scrap from the can manufacturing process, which is in line with the methodology employed by the Australian Packaging Covenant.
These changes to the methodology mean that care must be taken when comparing the 2010 mass balance data with previous years. |
