Glass recycling (FOI)

Request 

A

What percentage of glass designated for recycling is recycled in Jersey and in what form is it recycled?

B

If lower than 100%, what percentage is not recycled in Jersey, where does this glass go and what is it turned into?

C

Are any Jersey businesses contracted to deal with this glass and if so, what company or companies have been used in the last five years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 to date) and how much are being paid?

D

What methods have the company or companies in question 3 used to process the glass and was any additional money paid to these companies to do so?

E

How much has it cost the government in the last five years to use the company or companies? Please provide a breakdown of key costs.

Response

A and B 

Since November 2021, all glass received at La Collette has been sent to the UK for recycling, where it is processed to make new glass products.  

Prior to this it was designated for re-use as a drainage medium at the La Collette reclamation site. 

A targeted transition plan is in place for all glass to be recycled on-island by the end of 2023. 

C 

AAL Recycling Limited ('AAL') have been contracted since 2018 to receive, clean, crush and stockpile 100% of waste glass at La Collette for reuse as detailed above. 

However, AAL have been contracted since 2021 to receive, clean and recycle waste glass as part of the previously referenced targeted transition. 

The cost to the Government in relation to AAL's waste glass management services are detailed in the following table. 

D

AAL carried out the following processes in relation to the glass delivered to La Collette:

• hand-picked for litter removal
• crushed to 25mm prior to further contaminant removal before being stockpiled for re-use.

The following work was also carried out by AAL and was charged as an additional cost to the Solid Waste section within Infrastructure, Housing and Environment: 

• additional processing of some of the stockpiled crushed glass was required to meet a new engineering standard for use in local recycled aggregate. 

The additional costs incurred are included in annual costs shown in table shown above.

It should be noted that a detailed breakdown of the costs paid to AAL is exempt under Article 33(b) (Commercial Interests) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 as the information is considered commercially sensitive.

E 

Please see information shown in the table in response to question C. 

A further breakdown to the amount paid to AAL by year is exempt under Article 33(b) of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011. 

Articles applied 

Article 33 - Commercial interests 

Information is qualified exempt information if – 

(a) it constitutes a trade secret; or

(b) its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests of a person (including the scheduled public authority holding the information).

Public Interest Test 

Article 33 is a qualified exemption therefore a public interest test has been applied. 

The release of costs or contract values could potentially disadvantage AAL and the Government of Jersey's ability to retain commercial advantage in any future tender process.  

This could also result in the Government's inability to secure the best value for the taxpayer, and this will likely prejudice the Government as its bargaining power decreases. 

It is in the public interest to be made aware of the amount being paid to AAL in relation to the management of waste glass. However, we consider that the likely prejudices to AAL, the Government and the taxpayer should this information be released, outweigh the argument that the release is in the public interest.