"Last weekend the glass bins overflowed. Glass was left in piles around the bins."
Mount Maunganui resident Jason Horn said he visited the school last Sunday and the bins were full.
His Facebook photo of the overflow - mostly wine and beer bottles - garnered a huge response with more than 900 reactions and many comments not happy with the new system.
David Howie, Waste Management's lower North Island general manager, said
while the company was "disappointed" the school had pulled out, other early indicators for the first two weeks of the scheme had been positive.
Glass collected in Tauranga and the Western Bay increased by 25 per cent compared with the previous two weeks, and all of it was sent to be recycled - before, only half could be sent due to broken glass.
Waste sent to landfill from the recycling sorting plant reduced by 24 per cent, and there was less glass contamination of other recyclable materials.
Workers handling the recycling also suffered fewer cuts and abrasions.
Howie disputed a report by Tauranga City Council staff that the company had trouble finding hosts for the community bins.
"We are continuing to field calls from interested parties and we encourage more sites to come on board for as long as this solution is needed in our community."
It will "reconsider" its options if Tauranga City Council's move to start a citywide rates-funded kerbside glass collection service goes through.
If other hosts pulled out everyone would have to take their glass to the transfer stations, Howie said.
Mount Maunganui RSA manager Andrew Beunter said hosting bins had generally been okay but they did have some concerns about late night noise.
"We have to mindful of the rest of our neighbours on site."
They have asked people dropping off glass after 8pm to put it in cartons which the caretaker empties into the bins in the morning.
The RSA was waiting to receive its first income from the scheme before reviewing its involvement.
The council has started the tendering process for the proposed new service, putting a notice on its website advertising a "future opportunity" to tender for two contracts: one to supply the recycling crates and the other for the kerbside collection.
The tenders would be advertised in April, subject to funding approval in the Long-Term Plan 2018-28, currently out for consultation.
Council staff manning Waste Space, a pop-up information station in Red Square said public feedback on the council's plan had been largely positive.
The council has said it is too early to tell whether the change has increased sales of pre-paid council rubbish bags.
Timeline
November: Waste Management announces it will no longer accept glass in co-mingled recycling from March
March 1: Kerbside glass collection ceases
March 6: Council votes for rates-funded glass collection
Now: Council seeking for public feedback on plan
April: Council to post tenders for new service, if funding approved
August/September: Estimates start date of rates-funded glass collection.
Results
Statistics from the first two weeks since Waste Management stopped accepting glass in co-mingled recycling and introduced Bins for Better Communities.
25% - increase in amount of glass collected
100% - proportion of glass sent for recycling
50% - proportion of glass able to be recycled from co-mingled collection
24% - reduction in waste to landfill from recycle sorting plant
66% - reduction in injuries to staff at sorting plant.
Source: Waste Management
