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| A lack of consultation with recyclers makes this new bottle an environmental problem |
A cartel like Fonterra clearly has a lot of clout and they've executed a convincing media blitz to make sure that we know how green they are. Trouble is this new packaging is turning out to be an environmental disaster.
Just like Novapay they've gone live without bothering to do the user acceptance testing. Unlike the poor teachers who ended up with no money in the bank, the Anchor debacle isn't bankrupting individuals but it is causing some real headaches for recyclers and it's resulting in some lost revenue.
Recycling equipment grades plastic by shining a light on the incoming waste. Apparently it's very accurate at identifying all the different sorts of plastic but the new Anchor milk bottles are being mistaken for low grade plastics and are being mis-sorted into the mixed grade pile. The machines simply aren't callibrated to recognise this new material because no-one told them that this was coming. There's no real demand for mixed plastics and they command a very low resale price. Some recyclers aren't even bothering to try on-selling this mixed grade stuff and are sending it straight to the landfill.
So for all of Fonterra's claims that the packaging is environmentally friendly it's proving to be anything but. Fair's fair, Fonterra aren't the only manufacturer that has launched high-tech but poorly tested packaging into the marketplace but they are the most high profile.
It's not a criticism of the packaging itself - no-one disputes that it is high grade plastic that should be recyclable.
However, when you skip the crucial acceptance testing that ensures all parts of the supply chain are engaged and ready for your product, this is the mess that happens.
When the culprit is one of the biggest milk brands in the country that adds up to a very big pile of rubbish heading unnecessarily to the landfill.
Recyclers see red over 'green' bottles (Stuff)
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