From the 2009 CAN get together notes
Glass on the roads- who to lead? What do we want to achieve- sweeping, recycling, other? (A huge issue in Palmerston North. Have put out a card including a contact number to report. Also lobbying council, and Green Hub doing a bicycle-mounted glass pickup service). Need prevention- would deposits on bottles help? Need to do research to see what has/ hasn't worked elsewhere. Greens may have done some of this research. Anne to act as exec contact/ coordinator for glass campaign, and approach Stephen to assist. Axel to ask Andre to set up campaign group on website for glass. Also need to build partnerships with other organisations to make a difference- too big for CAN to do alone. Need to finalise glass policy to use as a starting point- Andrew to do. Can also involve road cycling lobby. Campaigns can be added to task lists used when contacting new members to see what they want to be involved in.
2008
At the Te Oka Exec get together, we agreed on future campaigns. The election campaign is coming to an end in exactly 7 days from now and I would like to congratulate Stephen for the outstanding job that he has done.
The next campaign that we agreed on is 'Glass on Roads'. To kick things off, here's a little exchange between Stephen and myself.
Axel writes:
Hi Stephen,
Thinking a week ahead (when the election is over and done with), are you looking after the glass campaign? Is there any info on this as yet? Is there a wee working party? Would it be the time to start a discussion within the exec group?
I had a chat with Brendan Burns (Labour, Christchurch Central, replacing Tim Barnett) earlier this week. He's got alcohol reform as one of his platforms. In that context, we talked about broken glass (which he hates, as he walks a lot along Christchurch's boy racer avenues) and he was most receptive to my suggestion to sell RTDs in plastic bottles only. Can we take advantage of that? Ideally, we would have a glass campaign patron from each of the parties represented in parliament, so that the issue is cross-party. What do you reckon?
Stephen responds:
Hi Axel
I'd like to do a few things after the election in terms of a press-release and follow-up. We'll have a list of all the pro-cycling candidates in Parliament, and it would be good to
a) let them all know about each other,
b) let all cyclists know who they are, and
c) look for opportunities to leverage change in their electorates and/or at national level.
I see the broken glass issue as a great one to connect national to local issues. I know Fiona has looked at the Packaging Accord and there may also be some links we can use there. So how about we use the broken glass issue to try to get all the pro-cycling MPs together on a cross-party thing? This gives MPs and us great media, plus lots of kudos with your average cyclist...
Having said this, I wouldn't mind stepping back from CAN a bit - maybe one campaign at a time...? How much is Bevan able to do on this broken glass campaign?
Replies 2008/2009
Hi All, I don't want to rain
Hi All,
I don't want to rain on our own parade but I'd like to ask... and I think we need to talk this through please...
- What is CAN's focus or central theme in advocacy and its marketing/ media/ campaigns over the next year?
- Does a 'glass on roads' campaign fit as a priority given our focus?
- What campaigns would or wouldn't?
I'm not against 'glass on roads', it's jut I believe we need a bit more strategic context to identify our priorities.
This means that when we do a 'glass' campaign, we can be clearer about the:
-core message e.g. exactly what change we're asking for
- best way of going about it, e.g. from the least to the most complicated...
- centralised/ from CAN
- localised/ from local groups
- mix
- how much to spend on it (given other campaigns we want to do etc)
As Andrew says, there's a fair amount of background work to make this a tight campaign. I'm not afraid of hard work but it's also a consideration nonetheless.
What I really want to be clear about is that a 'glass on roads' campaign is worthwhile for CAN to run.
Stephen
I'd like to see "Down with
I'd like to see "Down with Speed" type of campaign to promote reduced traffic speeds. 50km/h and 100km/h as standard for urban and rural roads are often too fast, causing cyclists to be at risk.
Bevan
Yes, speed reduction is much
Yes, speed reduction is much more meaningful than glass on roads, and it creates opportunities for partnerships with so many other groups. Glass on roads is too narrowly focused.
Spokes Christchurch is keen
Spokes Christchurch is keen on a glass campaign too. Such a national (CAN) campaign would be a good link to our local groups, as others have said.
We've seen various comments in this discussion about the relative energy and resource costs of glass, plastic and energy. Does anyone have time to research this properly (perhaps through Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club or other international environmenttal groups). This must have been done before. Let's find some robust data so we have a position based on facts. The "whole of life" concept should be the basis for this, from extraction of raw materials to disposal and including any transport and recycling or re-using costs along the way.
This research can be background for policy no. 12 on broken glass. Shouild this policy now be moved up to "high priority", as it is perhaps our chief campaign at the moment?
We've discussed this issue
We've discussed this issue at our cross-regional Active Transport Forum and believe that container deposits (not just glass) is required. Suddenly that glass bottle will have value and isn't likely to be thrown out the window.
Actually I like glass - it's easily re-useable (repeatedly) without necessarily having to be 'remade' into something else.
Carrot: What we need to do
Carrot:
What we need to do is get an idea or product that we can sell to the bottling companies (it's not just beer bottle glass).
A film is required that goes on the outside of the bottle like a security film to prevent it breaking on impact.
Ideally it would have to possess several benifits to the bottlers.
1) reduced glass quantity
2) easily recycles/removed during recyling
3) cheaper to produce
4) insulates
5) cheaper...
6) did I mention cost savings?
Stick:
Or we could ask for a law change that enables us to sue any identifiable party for costs (welcome to Oz).
Or we could go back to the good old days of the bottle deposit!
Webmaster, Cycle Action Waikato
How about calling it 'Glass
How about calling it 'Glass is Arse'? Would look good on a sticker or t-shirt. Just a thought...
While we can get some mileage out of hassling Councils to clean up roads, it might be more pertinent and productive to hassle the beer companies for a change... add to our list of enemies and all that. Might be lots of fun to rip off a few beer by-lines too? e.g. 'Export yourself. Leave your glass on Aussie roads' (Export Gold), 'Would a Tui girl do that?' (Tui) and 'Made using drunken couch potatoes' (Macs) etc etc ...
I think it would make sense to connect with the Packaging Accord as Fiona suggested a while ago.
I know Owens Corning Glass
I know Owens Corning Glass in the USA made beer bottels out of a very thin walled glass with a plastic shell. The benefit was the plastic shell held the glass shards together when broken. The downside is that more acid gases are emitted from the furnace when recycled!
Hi Axel / Stephen, I think
Hi Axel / Stephen,
I think we need to expand the scope here a bit and see things from a different perspective as well.
As cyclists, we are also concerned about environment. Unless they are recycleable, plastics bottles will pose env issues and cause litter. In that sense, glass is probably better. Having said that, glass bottles is our core problem. However much we encourage people not to throw glass bottles around, once people get drunk they have no idea what they are doing. So a compromise material may be tin cans. True, they won't break down but at least, a) they won't break up causing hazard to pedestrians and cyclists, b) won't cause environmental degradation and c) can still be collected and recycled.
Of course, the biggest gain will be in getting people to either not drink and drink within limits so they are still conscious enough to know, throwing things around is not a good idea.
Hi Sridhar, Given the
Hi Sridhar,
Given the enormous amount of energy that goes into the production of aluminium, and then again for its 'recycling', I'm not sure that this would be a more environmentally sustainable product than plastic.
Draft policy - Glass on roads
CAN supports measures, such as a Bottle Bill (container deposit legislation) to reduce broken glass on roads and cycle paths.
CAN also supports measures to prevent throwing of glass bottles on roads.
CAN also supports programmes for regular cleaning of glass off roads, cycle lanes and cycle paths.
Broken glass is frequently mentioned by cyclists as a source of grief. Besides the inconvenience of flat tyres, broken glass and debris on the road are serious safety hazards for cyclists.
The Problem
Glass beer and drink bottles are often thrown on roads by passing motorists and swept to road and lane edges by traffic flow. This means broken glass is typically densest where cyclists are most likely to pass. Cyclists then have to choose between riding through the glass or swerving right to avoid it, exposing themselves to hazards either way.
Waste Minimisation Bill
The Green Party's Waste Minimisation Bill is currently in Parliament. Submissions closed September 2006 and the Local Government and Environment Select Committee are currently considering these. Visit or write to your MP to express your support for the Bill, particularly if your MP sits on that Select Committee.
18 Sep 2007: The Green Party and the Government have announced joint amendments to the Waste Minimisation (Solids) Bill currently before Select Committee. Nandor Tanczos has been working with the Minister for the Environment to improve the Bill, to be renamed the Waste Minimisation and Resource Recovery Bill.
[Could someone verify the status of this? It should have been passed or rejected long ago, if it started the process in 2006 - Andrew]
Bottle Bills
Bottle bills are a proven, sustainable method of collecting bottles and cans for recycling. The refund value of the container provides a monetary incentive to return it for recycling. See http://www.bottlebill.org/.
Bottle bills exist in Germany, Scandinavia, 11 USA states, Kiribati, Micronesia and elsewhere. But not here.
In Canadian provinces with bottle bills, beer bottle recovery rates range from 92% to 113%. (In Yukon, the higher rate of collection than original bottle sales is due to the importation of cheaper beer from Alaska and British Columbia.)
South Australia has a refund of 10 cents per can or bottle (raised from 5c in February 2008). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_deposit_legislation#Australia
In 2007 Auckland-based Envision-NZ reported on bottle return legislation and its impact on New Zealand. The Incentive to Recycle: A Container Deposit System for New Zealand is an investigation into developing a model Container Deposit Legislation (CDL) system for New Zealand. The model was developed in association with nine international CDL experts. The report concludes that the system would:
* Increase beverage container recycling from the current level (<40%) to at least 84%
* Save nearly 1 billion containers going to landfill every year
* Cost beverage manufacturers only $6.6 million annually or 1/3rd cent per container
* Save local authorities at least $14 million in landfill disposal fees
* Reduce litter and litter control costs
* Create 1,000-2,000 jobs around the country.
* Create an income stream for community and social sector groups
See www.envision-nz.com/default.asp?s1=Envision+Reports
Public safety
A study published in the October 1986 edition of the American Journal of Public [Journal of Public Health? Seems a very old source - is there something newer? - Andrew] demonstrated the effectiveness of the Massachusetts bottle bill legislation toward reducing the incidence of glass lacerations among urban children. This research study followed Bay State efforts to enact bottle bill legislation with regard to Massachusetts children being treated for glass lacerations (before and after passage) and attributed a sixty per cent decline in reported childhood glass lacerations due to the legislative enactment of the Massachusetts bottle law. [But we're not talking about injuries to kids as the rationale for a bottle bill here. Better to use evidence relating to bottle bills for cyclists, if it exists. Otherwise delete. - Andrew]
CAN believes that:
Consideration should be given to:
References:
CAN's Vision:
Cycling is used as a means of transport by most people for some trips each month.
CAN's Objectives:
Comments
Liz tells me Simon Kennett
Liz tells me Simon Kennett and I (were?!) volunteered to help develop this policy. So I've 'directly edited' a few points to address Maxwell's comments... more by way of noting what we should be saying. Further edits and advice welcomed.
Good efforts on this draft
Good efforts on this draft policy. I think before it can be released, consideration needs to be given to the following:
1) The section "Consideration should be given to" raises four issues that the body of the text does not deal with. Whilst I agree with all those points, I think they should either be discussed in the text, or those considerations should be dropped from the policy. Otherwise, critics will (rightly) ask questions like 'what has raising the drivers age got to do with glass on the road'. The text needs to discuss this before it can be included as a consideration.
2) The policy should state where the problem comes from. And that's first and foremost hoons throwing around glass bottles, and to a much lesser extent bottles falling out of overflowing bins and other minor mishaps like this. It's important to have this clarified, as any proposed measure needs to be able to address the prime source(s) of the problem(s).
3) I fully agree with what Keith submitted on 21 May 2008 - you need to ban the sale of beer and RCDs in glass bottles if you want to knock this one on the head. Ok, yes, you might have a few less glass bottles falling out of overflowing recycling bins on collection day with a bottle bill. But do you really believe that getting 10 cents back for an empty bottle will stop any drunk passenger in a hoon car from throwing bottles around? If that's that main source of the problem, then refund schemes will never address this in any meaningful measure in my opinion.
So in my opinion, this needs some major work done on it before it's ready for public release.
Let's do a press release
Let's do a press release when it's finalised.
I have copied the comments
I have copied the comments over from the Spokes site in one block comment:
Great idea - But we need some strategies to foil the enemy
Submitted by Alastair Brown on 3 June 2008 - 6:21pm.
This is a great idea. But we need some strategies for countering the arguments that the vested interests will try to use to hobble this plan. Namely http://www.packaging.org.nz/policy/policy_container_deposit_legislation.php and http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/21614/waste.pdf.
Given that most of their arguments are economic, maybe we could determine the economic cost of a punctured cycle tyre:
Cost of materials $1-$2
Cost of time 20 minutes x $21/hr (approx, average wage) - $7
An opportunity cost should also be added, but is admittedly hard to estimate.
The costs would be similar for replacing a tube, plus the added waste of another inner tube.
I would get (optimistically) one puncture for every 300km. For me that's about $140 (5000km/300km*($7.00+$1.50)) per year. Practically all my punctures are caused by broken glass. There would also be economic benefits when broken glass injuries are reduced.
Can some other cyclists give their own estimates please? A sample size of one is a bit dodgy.
Alcohol in plastic bottles
Submitted by Keith on 21 May 2008 - 9:58pm.
I would totally support the idea of banning the sale of beer and RCD's in glass bottles - beer is already sold in plastic bottles at many sports venues. Anyone who goes for a Sunday morning ride can testify to the amount of broken glass on the road following Saturday night parties etc. Replacing glass bottles with recyclable plastic or aluminium cans would make a big difference.
Nothing makes an early morning commute worse than having to repair a puncture in the dark with cold hands. It inevitably happens when you are running late and is a sure disincentive to commuter cycling.
bottle bill
Submitted by paulebruce on 16 May 2008 - 9:45pm.
We have fought to have this, since the day it was taken away from us back in the 70s...anybody know the date?.... a most irrational decision.
Paul Bruce
How close is this to being a first draft?
Submitted by graeme on 13 May 2008 - 2:46pm.
Is this in a state that we can circulate to the exec for their comments and ask for their comments within 2 weeks?
glass policy
Submitted by Patrick on 16 May 2008 - 7:11pm.
Yes.
broken glass
Submitted by barrkerr on 14 May 2008 - 11:52am.
This draft policy looks great. Only two comments. Could mention that bottle bills are available in some states of Australia (although this referred to later, it is good to include it from outset as well I feel, being our nearest neighbours - reports are that there is very little glass on roads problems as a result in those states).
Other comment was, glass on roads is also a deterrant for novice cyclists who find the danger of avoiding glass while riding and the thought of dealing with punctures on a regular basis too daunting. While I don't have a source for referencing this, it was mentioned quite a bit at the adult cycle courses held in Nelson/Richmond.
Alcohol in glass bottles
Submitted by SteveX on 3 March 2008 - 9:49am.
I think we need to differentiate on the type of alcohol. Call me a snob, but I really can't see myself regularly drinking wine out of a cardboard box! Wine and spirits - best in large glass bottles.
The problem areas are alcopops/RTDs and beer. More than happy for these to be sold in cans only, which are still recyclable. I agree that glass bottles in the hands of teenagers & young adults who can't hold their liquor is a recipe for disaster. Cans are much less dangerous for all concerned.
Cheers
Steve
Support for the CAN Policy & the Bill
Submitted by SteveX on 22 February 2008 - 10:26am.
All excellent stuff - anything to improve recycling and reduce the amount of broken glass on the roadway is great.
An additional thought - in my experience a significant cause of broken glass near the kerb is due to glass bottles falling out of the big recycling bins on collection - particularly so if the bins are overfilled and the lids don't close properly.
The Bill will help this by providing an incentive for bottles to be returned for a monetary refund, but if Councils are being approached re more regular sweeping, then perhaps asking them to educate residents not to overfill their recycling bins could also be included.
Cheers
Steve
Birkenhead, North Shore City (where there are lots of big recycling bins!)
RE: Support for the CAN Policy & the Bill
Submitted by ken on 22 February 2008 - 5:19pm.
Steve,
What type of bins are you using up there? I just interviewed staff from Southland District Council and they are going to trial the Timaru 3-bin concept in Winton for three months. I couldn't imagine a 240-litre bin for co-mingled recycling would be full at the end of a week or two.
BTW, more on the Timaru system at http://www.envirowaste.co.nz/success/timaru-3-bin-system-success. In this document you can read that "In its first three months of operation, rubbish collection has reduced by 69.4%, and 74% of waste was diverted from landfill".
While this might seem off topic it is important for cyclists to reduce as much rubbish off the roads as possible.
Recently a person wrote The Southland Times commenting on the amount of debris flying out of an empty truck which had just unloaded rubbish at the sanitary landfill near Winton. In her words, "it belched out umpteen pieces of rubbish, despite appearing to be empty".
This might be a starting point for a future CAN policy document.
Ken Wuschke
Volunteer Coordinator | Radio Show Host | Sustainable Transport Advisor
Invercargill Environment Centre | Te Whenua Awhi
11 SIT Arcade
46 Esk Street
INVERCARGILL 9810
glass on roads
Submitted by barrkerr on 21 February 2008 - 8:16pm.
I think this is great. Supporting the waste minimisation bill is key to getting long term change on this problem. when i was working at Tasman District Council, we managed to get a system working where people commuting between Nelson & Richmond (and therefore stradling two councils & Transit as RCA) could ring up the appropriate RCA and report where broken glass was.
The system in place meant that the glass was removed within 24 hrs. Many councils don't have policies which deal well with this, as glass often fits under "detritious" and is not recognised as a serious safety issue. But getting agreement on dealing with it urgently was a huge step forward. So people need short term & long term solutions. Policy changes within councils or other RCAs is a good way forward. Having the public know what/how to report glass is essential. thanks patrick.
There is one simple solution
Submitted by pedaller on 1 March 2008 - 4:14pm.
There is one simple solution to this problem. Stop selling alcohol in glass bottles. An added benefit is the nutters can't use the bottles as weapons.
ta
Nigel