December 12th, 2024
New Zealand's Ministry for the Environment has released a report on 29 March outlining a new waste strategy for the country. The report aims to shift New Zealand towards a circular economy and reduce waste. The report states that in 2021, the country sent an average of 700 kilograms of waste per person to landfill, making New Zealand one of the highest generators of waste per person in the OECD.
Guiding Principles
The waste strategy is based on several guiding principles, including taking responsibility for how we make, use, manage, and dispose of things, protecting and regenerating the natural environment and its systems, ensuring systems for using, managing, and disposing of materials are financially sustainable, delivering equitable and inclusive outcomes, thinking across systems, places, and generations, and applying the waste hierarchy preferences to how we manage materials.
Implementation Phases
The strategy is divided into three implementation phases. Phase one, which is from now until 2030, focuses on embedding circular thinking into our systems, reducing waste generation and disposal, and reducing waste emissions. Phase two, which is from 2030 to 2040, expands on phase one by making circular management of materials normal, expected, and well-supported. Phase three, from 2040 to 2050, aims to help other countries transition to a low-emissions, low-waste circular economy.
Targets
The report outlines specific targets for each phase. In phase one, the target is to reduce the amount of material entering the waste management system by 10% per person, reduce the amount of material that needs final disposal by 30% per person, and reduce biogenic methane emissions from waste by at least 30%. Phase two focuses on widespread circular activity, reducing residual waste to a minimum, and improving emissions and other environmental outcomes. Phase three aims for New Zealand to be a low-emissions, low-waste circular economy, helping others make the change.
Action and investment plan
The report also calls for a collaborative effort between the government, local authorities, the waste management sector, and others to develop an action and investment plan to address the immediate priorities, including regulatory changes, investment, behaviour change, infrastructure, system change, and other actions.
Everyone's role
The report emphasises that everyone has a part to play in reducing waste, including avoiding waste, reducing consumption, embracing new recycling and reuse systems, using power as a consumer, hiring or borrowing something, getting involved in citizen science projects, and supporting businesses and households to make changes.
The Ministry for the Environment will regularly assess and publicly report progress against the strategy and action and investment plan. The waste strategy aims to shift New Zealand towards a circular economy, reducing waste and protecting the environment for future generations.
Circular economy thinking aligns with Māori values
Circular economy thinking shares many values with Māori culture, particularly in its focus on not creating waste in the first place and cycles of continual regeneration. In Māori culture, the concept of whakapapa adds further richness. Whakapapa is the kinship between all living things, which exists not just between people but between people and the planet. That kinship creates connection, respect, and responsibility, giving rise to kaitiakitanga and our responsibility to actively care for our environment.
Phases of the Waste Strategy Implementation
The waste strategy will be implemented in three phases, with specific targets and goals for each phase.
Phase 1: Embedding circular thinking into our systems (Now to 2030)
Reduce the amount of material entering the waste management system by 10% per person.
Reduce the amount of material that needs final disposal by 30% per person.
Reduce the biogenic methane emissions from waste by at least 30%.
We all take responsibility for how we produce, manage and dispose of things, and are accountable for our actions and their consequences.
Phase 2: Expanding to make circular normal (2030-2040)
Repairing, sharing and reusing are common, and the preferred options where practicable.
Resource recovery systems cover many materials and are easy to access.
There is strong demand for recycled material and products.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s systems are working with others across Australia and the Pacific.
Phase 3: Helping others do the same (2040-2050)
Aotearoa New Zealand’s consumption of virgin resources is largely from renewable sources and has stabilised at sustainable levels.
Aotearoa is part of a regional Pacific network for circular management of materials.
Resource recovery systems operate effectively, based on a strong understanding of carbon footprints.
Final disposal of residual waste is minimal, as are its environmental impacts.
What’s Next?
The waste strategy provides high-level direction, and the government will now work with local authorities, the waste management sector, and others to develop the first action and investment plan. The action and investment plan will spell out the immediate priorities for the next five years, the mix of regulatory, investment, behaviour change, infrastructure, system change, and other actions planned to address the immediate priorities, the sequence of the actions, and who needs to do what.
The Ministry will regularly assess and publicly report on progress against the strategy and action and investment plan. Everyone has a part to play in this waste reduction initiative, and the government encourages households, non-governmental organisations, businesses, waste management sectors, and local and central governments to collaborate and support each other.