500,000 Tonnes Strong: Building a Circular Future for Glass

5R Solutions is proud to announce we have now surpassed 500,000 Tonnes of glass recycled and diverted from landfills. This milestone marks a significant achievement for our team and for New Zealand’s circular economy.

Since starting in 2009, 5R Solutions has continued to grow year on year driven by a clear purpose: to recover, process, and recycle glass to ensure we preserve natural resources for future generations. What begun as a small operation has evolved into a nationwide network, working with industry partners to keep glass in circulation and out of landfill.

Reaching half a million tonnes recycled is the result of sustained innovation and collaboration across the supply chain. From construction and demolition, to automotive, and most recently glass insulators, 5R Solutions has focused on turning what was once a product only sent to landfill to utilise its infinite reusability by reusing recovered glass in new glass products.

Every tonne of glass recovered reduces the need for virgin raw materials and lowers energy use in manufacturing. At this scale, the impact is substantial; demonstrating that a circular economy is not only possible, but already well underway.

This milestone would not have been possible without the ongoing support of our customers, industry partners, councils, and the wider community. Your commitment to doing the right thing has played a critical role in reaching this point.

While we are proud to celebrate this achievement, our focus remains firmly on the future. We continue to invest in recovery capability, develop new end-use applications, and work alongside our partners to further increase glass diversion rates across New Zealand.

500,000 tones is a moment worth recognising - a strong foundation for what comes next.