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The Ministry's environmentally responsible business initiatives

The Ministry for the Environment is taking a partnership role in promoting sustainable business practices.

Some of the key sustainable industry initiatives the Ministry is working with industry on are:

Construction and demolition waste

Construction and demolition (C & D) is a large and complex waste stream, made up of a wide variety of materials including concrete, plasterboard, wood, steel, brick and glass. Because of its quantity and complexity, C & D waste has been identified as a priority waste in the New Zealand Waste Strategy with a target of 50% reduction to landfill by 2008.

For more information and details of a current project examining tools to reduce this waste, see Construction and demolition waste page.

Fonterra Eco-Efficiency

We are partnering with New Zealand’s leading dairy exporter, Fonterra, on the implementation of an eco-efficiency project. The project covers all of Fonterra’s factories, warehouses and offices. It will involve working with Fonterra to identify eco-efficiency gains.

Current work focuses on solid waste to identify and promote:

  • good practice
  • economies of scale
  • key regional opportunities.

For more information please phone (04) 439 7429 or email eco-efficiency@mfe.govt.nz.

Note:
The Ministry and Fonterra are also signatories of the Dairying and Clean Water agreement. For more information, see Dairying.

Greening the Screen

Greening the Screen is a practical environmental toolkit which provides the tools for everyone working in the New Zealand screen industry to contribute to 'greener' film and TV productions.

Developed by the Ministry for the Environment, Landcare Research, South Pacific Pictures, Waitakere City Council and the Screen Development and Production Council, the toolkit gives the screen industry tips on how to reduce the environmental impacts of screen productions.

For more information, visit the Greening the Screen website or read the Greening the Screen brochure.

New Zealand Packaging Accord

The Packaging Council and the Sustainable Industry Group have brought together packaging brand owners, retailers, importers, recyclers and local government to negotiate a New Zealand Packaging Accord.

The objectives of the Accord are to improve the sustainability of packaging used in New Zealand. For more information see New Zealand Packaging Accord 2004-2009.

New Zealand Waste Strategy

The strategy was developed in partnership by the Ministry for the Environment and Local Government New Zealand. Industry, community groups, and individuals were also active participants. The strategy has been an effective catalyst for action. Important developments include:

  • adoption of strategy targets by a large number of local authorities, and/or expanding their own waste management and minimisation services such as providing more curbside recycling
  • a project to reduce the volume of construction and demolition waste

You can learn more about the waste strategy by either reading the full strategy document, or reading The New Zealand Waste Strategy at a glance.

For more information about waste in New Zealand, see the Waste issue page.

Product Stewardship

Product stewardship is a ‘cradle to grave’ tool that helps reduce the environmental impact of manufactured products.  Product stewardship encourages producers, brand owners, importers, retailers, consumers and other parties to accept responsibility for the environmental effects of their products.

See the Product Stewardship page to learn more about how the Ministry is encouraging product stewardship, what types of product stewardship schemes there are in New Zealand, and to find out more about product stewardship.

Special Wastes

We are working with several sectors like the tyre and oil industries to investigate options for recovering, reusing or safe disposal of a number of products that are particularly difficult to manage at the disposal or recycling stage. Products we are focusing on include used oil, end-of-life tyres and agrichemicals.

For more information, see the Special Wastes page.

Sustainable tourism

We are working with six regions in New Zealand on the Sustainable Tourism project, assisting them to incorporate sustainable business practices into their operations. To learn more, see Sustainable tourism.

Last updated: 7 July 2009