New Zealand starts banning more single-use plastics on October 1
New Zealand has banned the sale or production of single-use plastic cotton swabs, drink stirrers and most plastic trays from 1 October 2022.
"This is the first of the most problematic plastic products to be phased out over the next three years," said New Zealand Environment Minister David Parker.
"Stopping the sale of these plastic products will reduce landfill waste, improve our recycling system and encourage reusable or environmentally responsible alternatives."
Plastics banned from sale from 1 October 2022 include:
Disposable Plastic Beverage Stirrer
Disposable plastic cotton swabs
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Prepared Food Trays and Containers*
Polystyrene Takeaway Packaging for Food and Beverages
Expanded polystyrene food and beverage retail packaging (such as foam takeaway containers or some instant noodle cups)
Plastics that contain additives that shatter the plastic into microplastics
"On average, each New Zealander sends around 750kg of waste to landfill each year. Some products cannot be recycled and are not necessary," said David Parker.
"These are the first banned plastic products since single-use plastic bags were banned in 2019. That means more than a billion plastic bags end up in landfills or the ocean," said David Parker.
"The recently announced investment in the Plastics Innovation Fund, and funding to help co-design a product stewardship program for plastic packaging, also demonstrates the government's commitment to tackling the problems caused by plastic waste," said David Parker.
The next batch of single-use plastics to be phased out by mid-2023 will include single-use plastic boards, bowls, cutlery, single-use plastic produce bags and non-compostable produce labels, and other PVC and polystyrene food and beverage packaging will be Banned in mid-2025.
