Update on waste policies
The Government has made decisions on kerbside collection policies, the third tranche of plastic phase outs, and the phase out of plastic produce labels.
In November 2022, the then Government agreed to five policies to improve household recycling:
- standardising the materials collected in household recycling
- introducing a council household recycling service to all urban areas
- introducing a council household food scraps service to all urban areas
- data reporting for private household recycling providers
- a performance standard for household recycling and food scraps diversion.
Of the five policies, only standard materials for household recycling has come into effect.
The Government has agreed the other four policies will no longer go ahead. This is to reduce additional costs on councils, and to allow more choice around the timing for introducing any new services.
The Government will continue to support councils to introduce recycling and food scraps collections through the Waste Minimisation Fund.
Read more about improving household recycling and food scrap collections.
The Government has removed the 2025 deadline for the third tranche of plastic phase-outs. This is to enable the Ministry to carry out more work to help decide the next steps for these products. The 2025 deadline had included all PVC and polystyrene food and drink packaging not covered by previous phase-outs.
Background
In June 2021, the then Government announced a plan to phase-out certain single-use and hard-to-recycle plastics in three stages.
The first stage came into effect in October 2022 when the Government banned single-use plastic drink stirrers and cotton buds, polystyrene takeaway food and drink packaging, all expanded polystyrene food and drink packaging, some PVC food trays and plastics with pro-degradant additives.
From 1 July 2023, the Government banned single-use plastic tableware (including plates, bowls and cutlery) and plastic produce bags, and restricted the use of plastic straws. Plastic produce labels also began a transition to becoming fully home compostable by mid-2025.
The third stage of phase-outs was originally intended to come into force from mid-2025, and it included all other PVC and polystyrene food and drink packaging.
The Government is extending the deadline for completing the transition to home compostable produce labels, which began in July 2023.
New Zealand produce growers supplying the domestic market are required to use a label that meets home compostable standards, except for the adhesive.
The next step is to move to labels with home compostable adhesive, and for these regulations to apply to all produce sold into the New Zealand market, including imported produce. These requirements were due to come into effect from 1 July 2025. An amendment to the regulation is planned for early 2025 to extend this date to 1 July 2028.
The extension gives domestic and international growers more time to switch to fully home compostable labels, which aligns more closely with the timing of regulatory changes overseas.
Read more about phasing out hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics.