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When wasting away is good for your health
Environment Minister David Benson-Pope has reiterated the Government’s intention to take the lead on waste and recycling issues.
Resene’s paint and packaging recycling scheme, ‘PaintWise’, was launched nationally
in June by the Minister for the Environment, David Benson-Pope. Pictured from the
left, are 3R Group’s Bruce Emerson, Resene’s Nick Nightingale and the Minister
“Government will take the lead but reducing and managing waste is everybody’s responsibility. Everyone must do their part, as an individual or as a collective,” he said.
The three Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle – have never been so important when it comes to maximising use of our existing resources.
The Government has made a commitment to explore ways to fund further solid waste minimisation. In May, it announced $4.5 million over three years to establish public recycling facilities in larger cities and tourist destinations.
Government is also responding to industry calls for greater support of their voluntary product stewardship schemes.
“We are proposing to introduce regulations to support voluntary product stewardship schemes and to ensure those producers who take a leadership role in this area are not undermined by those who won’t,” Minister Benson-Pope said.
The Minister launched Resene’s product stewardship scheme, ‘PaintWise’, in June. Now, 40 Resene ColorShops throughout the country will collect unwanted paint or paint packaging to reuse and recycle; and what can’t be used is stabilised and sent to landfill. Resene has also ensured its processing places minimal stress on the environment during manufacture.
“I challenge and encourage other industries to look hard at the existing product stewardship schemes to learn how they could effectively take responsibility for their products,” said the Minister.
Garden and food waste
make up
more than 23
per cent of waste
in landfills.
Home composting reduces
both pressure on landfills
and methane
produced from
the decomposing waste.
Some of the Government’s proposals require changes to legislation before they can come into effect and it is reviewing the waste minimisation legislative and policy framework. The Waste Minimisation (Solids) Bill, currently before the Select Committee, provides a vehicle to make these changes.
Ministry Chief Executive Hugh Logan says we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve our way of life and the state of the environment by putting sustainability at the heart of our thinking and decision-making.
“Sustainability is about using our limited resources more effectively. Waste is a tangible and highly visible sign that we are not doing so,” said Logan.
The Ministry’s recent review of progress against New Zealand Waste Strategy targets confirms we are still throwing out waste that could be recycled or reused, particularly organic waste and construction and demolition waste, which are the two largest waste streams.
Over the next few years, Government will address organic waste and construction and demolition waste and further improve management of hazardous wastes and contaminated sites.
The Ministry is working with the organics recycling industry on research and development to allow producers to market their products against traditional inorganic fertilisers and pesticides. By accessing these markets, there should be an increased demand for a high quality, consistent product which will in turn increase interest in diverting, collecting and reprocessing organic wastes.
The Ministry will also work with the construction and demolition (C&D) industry to improve monitoring and reporting of C&D waste going to landfills and cleanfills, specifically timber, concrete, plaster board and plastic wrap. It will work with industry to identify and increase opportunities for reprocessing and reusing this waste.
“Monitoring long term waste trends as part of the state of the environment reporting framework is another change in focus for the Ministry,” said Logan.
More and more manufacturers are taking responsibility for
recovering,
recycling and disposing of old and used products.
Dell’s free computer
recycling event in Wellington last year
collected 50 tonnes
of computers, monitors and accessories.
“We currently report on volumes and composition of solid waste disposed of to landfill but we’re now looking to expand this to include volumes and composition of waste disposed of to cleanfill, and volumes of materials diverted from landfill and cleanfill. We can’t effectively manage what we don’t know and improving waste data will help us make better, more informed decisions.”
Central government will work closely with local government, business and communities to better manage our waste and, wherever possible, ensure recovery and reuse of waste is economically viable.
The Government is also keen to engage the general public. To find out what you can do to help reduce waste in your home or business go to www.reducerubbish.govt.nz/
Progress against Waste Strategy targets
Good progress has been made in recycling and landfill management since the New Zealand Waste Strategy was released in 2002 although results are variable and show more work is needed to meet the Strategy’s aim of zero waste and a sustainable New Zealand.
A review of progress against the Strategy targets in 2006 found 10 of its 30 targets were achieved or showing progress. Areas of particular achievement include:
- local government improving community access to recycling and green waste diversion schemes in their communities
- increased central government engagement with businesses to achieve waste outcomes, for example through the Packaging Accord and other voluntary product stewardship schemes
- good progress in providing guidelines to improve management of landfill sites and hazardous wastes.
Progress was limited for:
- targets relating to activities for which councils have been assigned responsibility, but where delivery of activity is undertaken by another party
- targets relating to contaminated sites, although it should be noted that an increasing number of regional councils have started identifying and screening potentially contaminated sites.
Copies of the report are available from www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/waste/
Product stewardship
Product stewardship is a ‘cradle to the grave’ tool that encourages producers, brand owners, importers, retailers, consumers and other parties to all take responsibility for the environmental effects of their products throughout the product life-cycle. It is particularly useful for waste streams, such as old computers, tyres, used oil, and unwanted agrichemicals, which impact on the environment.
Examples of product stewardship schemes include the Resene PaintWise paint and packaging take-back, Agrecovery’s collection of used agricultural chemical containers, Fisher & Paykel’s whiteware take-back, Vodafone’s and Telecom’s cell phone take-back, refrigerant recovery, TyreTrack for used tyres, and the Used Oil collection programme.
For more information about waste-related issues, please contact Jeff Seadon on (04) 439 7630. Or visit www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/waste
