OIAD-410 request for information about the National Plastics Action Plan, the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment and the Global Plastics Treaty

Details of the request

For the time period 2017-2022:

National Plastic Action Plan

1. All briefings, advice (including by email) and Cabinet Papers on the National Plastic Action plan and its implementation.
2. Does the government have any measurable objectives and a quantitative baseline in relation to phasing out hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics? And if yes, what are they?
3. What proportion of the total amount of hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand is the government currently phasing out, or has plans to phase out?
4. What proportion of the total amount of hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand is there no plans to phase out?
5. What proportion of all plastic in Aotearoa New Zealand, by year for the period 2017- 2022 is: a) recycled onshore, b) sent overseas and c) sent to landfill in New Zealand.
6. For each phase/tranche of the phase out of certain hard-to-recycle and single-use plastics, how much in weight of plastics will no longer go to landfill (compared to the amount of plastic already going to the landfill) by year for 2017-2022.
7. All briefings, advice (including by email) and Cabinet Papers on building recycle facilities in Aotearoa to recycle plastics.
8. How much onshore capacity by volume to recycle plastic has increased in Aotearoa since 2017?
9. All briefings, advice (including by email) and Cabinet Papers on a container return scheme for beverage containers.

New Plastics Economy Global Commitment – Global declaration to cut plastics.

1. Does the government have any quantifiable targets and a quantitative baseline in relation to the following (from the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment):
2. Eliminate: problematic or unnecessary plastic packaging and move from single-use to reuse packaging models
3. Innovate: to ensure 100% of plastic packaging can be easily and safely reused, recycled, or composted by 2025
4. Circulate: the plastic produced, by significantly increasing the amounts of plastics reused or recycled and made into new packaging or products
5. If yes to the above, what are the quantifiable targets and quantitative baselines, and what progress has been made from 2019 to the latest date you have data for.

Global Plastics Treaty

1. All advice on the Global Plastics Treaty provided to MFAT.

I understand that there are gaps in the available date in relation to plastic waste in Aotearoa New Zealand. If MfE does not hold the information, can you please provide your best estimates.