In a new recycling initiative, our old glass insulators may just find their way into your home, thanks to a new partnership that transforms waste into warmth. We’ve recently inked a deal with 5R Solutions Limited, a glass recycling specialist, to collect and process glass insulators from our transmission towers that have reached end-of-life. 5R supplies Auckland-based company, Comfortech Building Performance Solutions®, who melts down the glass and repurposes it as Pink® Batts® home insulation that’s used to keep homes warm across the motu. The metal from the insulators is recycled by Phoenix Recycling Group. For the foreseeable future, this initiative will divert 127 tonnes of insulators from landfill every year – the equivalent of over 60 cars! Under our Sustainability Strategy, we’re committed to fostering environmental stewardship through long-term, sustainable changes to our operations. One way we’re doing this is by operating at as close to a zero-waste organisation as possible, with a target of reducing our waste sent to landfill by 30% from 2022/23 levels by 2030. This initiative alone achieves half of this goal and reduces our disposal costs by around 30%, reducing our waste sent to landfill. The process wasn’t without its challenges. These include developing a model to forecast the amount of glass we’ll replace over the coming years, manufacturing specially designed crates that can be reused throughout the initiative’s life, and the recycler needed to demonstrate they could safely separation the glass from the metal insulators it’s bonded with to cement. Through forward thinking initiatives like this, we can increase the efficiency of our material use and minimise our environmental impact. Pictured - Comfortech melting glass at 1,300 degrees celsius.
Kristian Jensen
7mo
Great recycling initiative Transpower New Zealand
Executive General Manager Grid Delivery at Transpower New Zealand
7moGreat to see this initiative delivered.