Over the past 15 years, a Christchurch-based recycling company has saved more than 450,000 tonnes of glass from going to landfill.
Founded in 2009 during the global financial crisis, 5R Solutions specialises in flat glass recovery, predominantly windows and windscreens. The company started with just two customers in Christchurch, with their initial success leading to an expansion into Auckland, increasing their processing capacity from a few thousand tonnes to 10,000 tonnes overnight.
Founder and Managing Director Chris Grant says the business idea stemmed from his background in resource recovery and his neighbour’s complaints about glass wastage in the industry. “I was previously commercialising waste streams including curbside glass product developments before being made redundant. 5R was born out of this situation with a small amount of glass recovery and working as a waste consultant with a project at the Christchurch International Airport, analysing their waste streams with a view to diverting waste from landfill.
“My neighbour at the time was the South Island General manager of Metro Performance Glass and he always complained about all the wastage of glass going to landfill. There is a global need for recycled glass, so I thought: why the hell are we burying it? That’s when I decided to find a million dollars to fund the idea.”
Today, the company operates 15 regional facilities nationwide and two major processing plants in Christchurch and Auckland, handling approximately 40,000 tonnes of glass per year and employing a team of 26 employees. In the North Island, they supply glass for Pink®Batts® insulation and bottle glass manufacturing. In Christchurch, they produce a range of niche products, including sandblasting media, water filtration materials, and components for effluent management systems.
The company has also developed engineered sand from recycled glass for use in sports fields, golf courses, and other applications. Their process allows for nearly 100% recovery of glass materials, while also reducing the need for virgin materials, particularly silica sand, which is the second most extracted resource globally.
Mr Grant credits the company’s growth to innovative thinking and a willingness to tackle challenges others deemed too difficult. “Glass is the only resource in the resource recovery sector that is infinitely recyclable without losing any properties. It’s one of the widest scoped materials because it can go into multiple different applications, but it’s always been looked at as the problem child – in the ‘too hard’ basket.
“Thanks to our work with the industry, we’ve managed to keep the equivalent of 72 Olympic sized swimming pools worth of glass in circulation, with about 85% of car windscreens now diverted from landfill – giving this very precious resource a new lease on life.
“The ‘5R’ refers to the waste hierarchy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Residual, which is an integral part of our ethos and the cornerstone of our success. 15 years ago, I would never have dreamed I’d be here today celebrating such a significant milestone. It’s something I am incredibly proud of.”
The disposal of windscreens was traditionally a problem for the auto glass industry, says NOVUS Glass Co-owner Mike James, who has been a supplier of glass to 5R since 2010. “Disposing of windscreens in landfills is not only expensive but also wasteful. Before 5R came along, all damaged windscreens were just sent off to landfills around the country where they are estimated to take a million years to breakdown. For nearly 15 years we have worked closely with 5R to divert thousands of tonnes of windscreens from landfill to recycling. Chris has established an entire network that makes doing the right thing easy.”
New Zealand company Comfortech use glass supplied by 5R to manufacture Pink®Batts®, which Comfortech General Manager Anthony Stone says is made up of more than 80% recycled glass. “We value our relationship with 5R, align with their focus on delivering environmental benefits and appreciate receiving a reliable supply of recycled glass which means we’re able to produce enough Pink®Batts® to supply our customers throughout New Zealand,” says Mr Stone.
The company is also working on new world-first technologies to recycle additional components, such as the plastic interlayer in windscreens. “We’ve spent seven years of development with global company Shark Solutions,” says Mr Grant. “They have pioneered liquefying the plastic to be able to be used in applications such as mainstream paint manufacturing or replacing latex on the back of carpets. Latex is a natural resource that’s on the decline and they’re doing a lot in the car manufacturing space with polymers, so there is a significant market opportunity there. We aim to achieve 98% recovery by 2026.”
Other key partnerships formed over the years include working with Transpower on an innovative approach to recycle 100% of their end of use glass insulators, working with Effluent Management Systems to reduce nitrate runoff on dairy farms, partnering with Auckland Council to divert flat glass from 400 demolished homes at Muriwai and working with construction titans such as Naylor Love to improve their environmental footprint. They also have a long-standing partnership with Kilmarnock Enterprises who package their products.
In addition, Mr Grant serves as the board chair of the Glass Packaging Forum, aiming to increase glass recycling rates in New Zealand and promote better understanding of glass as an important environmental resource.
Mr Grant attributes part of 5R Solutions’ success to the support received from the Canterbury business community, particularly Business Canterbury and the former Canterbury Development Corporation (CDC). “Canterbury business community punches above its weight. It’s a hugely diverse business community and here seems to be a willingness of the business community to support each other.
“We’ve been members of The Chamber (Business Canterbury) from day one and together with the CDC, they have been instrumental in the role they have played in our growth. They were able to help with mentorship and with business planning and financial proposals, which were crucial for securing initial funding – especially with no capital – and expanding operations.
“The company has been self-funded from the start and we invest everything back into the company. Generally a new startup business will fail in the first five years, but I had everything on the line and couldn’t afford to fail, so that help was incredibly valuable.
“I am also so appreciative of the support that my wife has given me. It wasn’t easy living hand to mouth and then making the decision to invest multiple millions into a vision.”
As 5R Solutions looks to the future, the company is investing in new equipment and exploring robotics and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency. The company is also expanding current markets, such as Australia, while exploring new markets, including Southeast Asia. Mr Grant says he is committed to finding new ways to recycle glass and reduce waste.
“Our goal is there is no need for flat glass to go to landfill. We’ve got to come up with the right solutions to deliver and that’s what we’re doing.”
