Innovative Partnership diverts tonnes of glass from landfill

Since 2013 Smith&Smith® have been diverting tonnes of vehicle glass waste from landfill. Through an innovative partnership with 5R Solutions, windscreens that are beyond repair, are transformed into a range of glass products, from glass wool insulation to glass bottles and jars. Some of Smith&Smith’s insurance partners took a tour of 5R Solution’s new recycling facility in Auckland and saw firsthand what happens to their customers’ broken windscreens and vehicle windows.

“Glass is a resource, not a waste”, says 5R Solutions’ Managing Director, Chris Grant. He says ”we are a glass recovery business, with expertise in supply chain management”, explaining the joint need for sustainable glass disposal and the demand for glass materials to produce a range of products, from glass bottles to glass wool insulation.

Smith&Smith Managing Director, Michelle van Gaalen says it was the Smith&Smith® team’s commitment to sustainability that motivated them to find a solution for waste vehicle glass. “If we can repair a windscreen we will, but sometimes a replacement is the only option. Glass is infinitely recyclable, so the team was determined to find a way of keeping windscreen glass out of landfill. At Smith&Smith®we believe that no windscreen should end up in landfill”.

Chris says windscreen recovery can be challenging, but 5R Solutions was eager to support Smith&Smith® with the initiative. “There is a lot of complexity with vehicle glass, from a protective laminate layer to prevent the windscreen from shattering in an accident, to built-in safety sensors, but we were keen to collaborate with the Smith&Smith® teamand implement our solution”.

5R Solutions can recover windscreen glass, approximately 85 percent of the windscreen components, which provides a valuable input material for a range of their clients. With further innovations they aim to recover up to 98% of all components of windscreens. Chris says this as a win-win-win.

“Landfills are designed around things that break down, and glass doesn’t really”. Chris says 5R Solutions has diverted nearly half a million tonnes of glass away from landfill since they began in 2009 and explains how the plant’s processing of glass is partially powered by solar at their new Auckland operation. Chris also points to the circular outcome; contributing to energy efficiency through glass wool insulation and work they have underway with an effluent management company exploring how glass can be used within filtration systems.

Ando Insurance’s Sustainability Analyst, Patrick Gainsford says Smith&Smith’s windscreen recycling programme was a real “eyeopener” for him. “I was conscious how versatile glass was, but I’ve really appreciated learning firsthand what goes into this process for our clients’ windscreens being recycled and the outcomes being generated.”

Provident Insurance’s Head of Risk and Compliance, Altaaf Osman agrees, describing the initiative as “fantastic”.

“It’s easy to think of a broken windscreen as the end of life for that glass, so it’s great to see that it’s being reused for another purpose”.

Altaaf also said that it can be challenging for the vehicle insurance provider to understand the different environmental impacts throughout the value chain, given they are dealing with many small, privately-owned repair shops. “It’s therefore really helpful that Smith&Smith® can share this type of information on impact, and how they’re actively reducing waste through this glass recycling initiative”.

AA Insurance’s Climate Reporting Manager, Mary Tyrrell agrees. “It can be challenging to have visibility of waste outputs and environmental impacts by those in our value chain. This initiative provides us with a picture of how glass waste is diverted from landfill at a significant scale”.

“It’s really encouraging to see proactive and innovative initiatives such as Smith&Smith’s recycling programme with 5R – it’s a great example of turning waste into something useful by extending the life of the material”, says Mary.

Michelle says that when it comes to sustainability, problem-solving and partnerships are critical to making a real difference. “At Smith&Smith® we don’t dance around the edges. We look for big, bold initiatives and value-aligned partners that are actually going to shift the dial and really minimise or negate any environmental impacts. It’s not window-dressing, it’s tangible outcomes. This is what our team and clients tell us is important to them, and most importantly, it’s what’s good for the planet”.

For more visit https://www.5rsolutions.co.nz/